CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Antiques

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the monetary value of antiques seized by his Department in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no power to seize antiques. Therefore no such seizure has taken place in the last 12 months.

Arts Council of England: West Midlands

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England spent per capita on  (a) capital projects and  (b) revenue funding in (i) Wolverhampton, (ii) Sandwell, (iii) Dudley, (iv) Walsall, (v) Birmingham, (vi) Solihull and (vii) Coventry in (A) 2001-02, (B) 2002-03, (C) 2003-04, (D) 2004-05, (E) 2005-06, (F) 2006-07, (G) 2007-08 and (H) 2008-09.

Si�n Simon: Arts Council England have supplied the figures in the following table. The figures represent their total funding, awarded in £000, either on a revenue or capital basis to organisations or individuals based (by postcode) in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
	
		
			  £000 
			  LA/capital/revenue  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  Birmingham 
			 Lottery Capital 2,115 - 9,920 - - - - - 
			 Lottery Revenue 8,070 4,109 2,183 3,187 2,636 6,891 3,372 2,170 
			 Grant in Aid Revenue 10,949 11,860 12,986 14,445 16,698 16,513 17,550 18,021 
			 Birmingham total 21,134 15,969 25,089 17,632 19,334 23,404 20,922 20,191 
			  
			  Coventry 
			 Lottery Capital 4,023 - 30 - - - - - 
			 Lottery Revenue 455 1,088 190 466 770 952 320 500 
			 Grant in Aid Revenue 923 990 1,415 1,500 1,632 1,696 1,723 1,823 
			 Coventry total 5,401 2,078 1,635 1,966 2,402 2,649 2,043 2,323 
			  
			  Dudley 
			 Lottery Revenue 213 - 101 62 88 571 106 139 
			 Grant in Aid Revenue 10 20 20 25 25 26 26 50 
			 Dudley total 223 20 121 87 113 597 132 189 
			  
			  Sandwell 
			 Lottery Capital 28,804 - - - - - - - 
			 Lottery Revenue 131 36 139 166 77 103 86 65 
			 Grant in Aid Revenue 146 214 420 794 1,132 854 1,254 816 
			 Sandwell total 29,081 250 560 960 1,209 957 1,340 882 
			  
			  Solihull 
			 Lottery Revenue 180 61 114 85 92 11 155 22 
			 Solihull total 180 61 114 85 92 11 155 22 
			  
			  Walsall 
			 Lottery Revenue 235 106 179 147 192 172 168 123 
			 Grant in Aid Revenue 517 535 551 862 804 826 849 897 
			 Walsall total 752 641 730 1,010 996 998 1,016 1,020 
			  
			  Wolverhampton 
			 Lottery Revenue 221 196 243 42 229 230 330 289 
			 Grant in Aid Revenue 27 128 181 315 323 362 341 338 
			 Wolverhampton total 248 324 424 357 552 592 671 627

Big Lottery Fund: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on the Big Lottery Fund website in each year since its establishment.

Si�n Simon: The running and maintenance of the Big Lottery Fund's website is the responsibility of the Big Lottery Fund, which operates independently of Government.
	I have therefore asked the Big Lottery Fund's chief executive to consider the question raised by the hon. Member for South West Surrey and to write to him direct.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on his Department's website in each year since it was established.

Si�n Simon: We are unable to supply figures prior to 2005.
	The departmental website is managed in house from existing resources. Following are additional costs of development, hosting, licences and editorial. These costs cover the main site and a number of in-house mini-sites.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 68,097.54 
			 2006-07 59,147.16 
			 2007-08 8,741 
			 2008-09 (1)- 
			 (1) Figures are not currently available.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on maintaining its Flickr channel in the last 12 months.

Si�n Simon: My Department does not have a Flickr channel.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people his Department employs to maintain its Department's social media and social networking accounts; and at what cost in the latest year for which figures are available.

Si�n Simon: My Department does not employ any dedicated resources to maintain its social media and social networking sites.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on maintaining its Twitter feed in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Si�n Simon: My Department has not incurred any costs in maintaining its Twitter feed.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on maintaining its YouTube channel in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Si�n Simon: My Department has not incurred any costs in maintaining its YouTube channel.

Licensing Laws: Languages

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 19W, on licensing laws: language, in how many languages other than English and Welsh the accredited licence course is offered.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The accredited licence course providers are free to make a commercial decision to allow the examination to be taken in other languages if there is a demand for such a service. The Department does not record the number of languages other than English and Welsh that have been in demand.

Ofcom: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on the Ofcom website in each year since it was established.

Si�n Simon: The running and maintenance of Ofcom's website is the responsibility of Ofcom, which operates independently of Government.
	I have therefore asked Ofcom's chief executive to consider the question raised by the hon. Member for South-West Surrey and to write to him direct.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Swimming: Concessions

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications for funding from pot 4 of the Free Swimming Capital Modernisation Programme were received in the first funding round; and in respect of which swimming pools these applications were received.

Ben Bradshaw: Sport England advises that there were 133 applications for funding from pot 4 of the 2009-10 Free Swimming Capital Modernisation Programme in the first funding round. Of the 133 applications, 86 were for public swimming pools. These 86 applications correspond to the following projects:
	
		
			  Organisation  Project name 
			 Babergh District Council Improvements to Hadleigh Swimming Pool 
			 Blaby District Council Enderby Leisure Centre-Invest To Achieve 
			 Bolton District Council Swimming Pool Modernisation-Bolton Town Centre Pool 
			 Bolton District Council Swimming Pool Modernisation-Horwich Leisure Centre 
			 Bolton District Council Swimming Pool Modernisation-Farnworth Leisure Centre 
			 Burnley Council Padiham Leisure Centre 
			 Bury Council Modern pools for Modern People-Castle Leisure Centre 
			 Bury Council Modern pools for Modern People-Radcliffe Pool and Fitness Centre 
			 Calderdale Borough Council New build of Sowerby Bridge Pool 
			 Calderdale Borough Council New build of Brighouse pool 
			 Cannock Chase New Swimming Pool 
			 Chesterfield Borough Council Queens Park Sports Centre 
			 Chichester DC Westgate Leisure Centre Enhancement 
			 Chiltern DC Chiltern DC-Capital Swimming Project at 3 sites 
			 Chorley Council Swim Chorley Capital Improvements-All Seasons Leisure Centre 
			 Chorley Council Swim Chorley Capital Improvements-Brinscall Pool 
			 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council New Bradford City Centre Pool 
			 City of London Golden Lane Leisure Centre Refurbishment and Improvement 
			 Colchester Borough Council Fitness and Teaching Pool Refurbishment in Colchester 
			 Arena Sports Centre Arena Community Swimming Pool 
			 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Hoyland Leisure Centre 
			 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Dearnside Leisure Centre 
			 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Royston Leisure Centre 
			 Birmingham City Council Modernising Swimming in Birmingham-3 parts (Wyndley Leisure Centre and 4 temp pools on school sites) 
			 Bolton District Council Swimming Pool Modernisation-Westhoughton Leisure Centre 
			 Bolton District Council Swimming Pool Modernisation-Sharpies Community Leisure Centre 
			 Bolton District Council Swimming Pool Modernisation -Turton Community Leisure Centre 
			 Bolton District Council Swimming Pool Modernisation-Ladybridge Community Leisure Centre 
			 Bolton District Council Swimming Pool Modernisation-Jubilee Pool 
			 Castle Point Borough Council Runnymede Swimming Pool 
			 Cedar Park School Cedar Park School Swimming Pool Enclosure 
			 Charnwood Borough Council South Charnwood Pool (Wreake Valley Community College) 
			 Coventry City Council President Kennedy School 
			 Derbyshire County Council Brookfield Specialist Sports College Swimming Pool Project 
			 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council A Mega Splash at Armthorpe Sports Centre 
			 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council A Mega Splash at Thorne Sports Centre 
			 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Swimming Transformation 
			 Flora McDonald Junior School Enclosing outside swimming pool 
			 Harrow Council Splashing Out (3 sites) 
			 Kennet District Council Pewsey Changing refurbishment 
			 Kirklees Metropolitan Council Batley Swimming Initiative 
			 Leicester City Council Northfield House Primary School 
			 Luton Borough Council Modernising Swimming Facilities 
			 Milton Keynes UA Wroughton Leisure Centre Modernisation 
			 Milton Keynes UA Stantonbury Campus Pool Modernisation Project 
			 New Scotland Hill Primary School Refurbishment of swimming pool 
			 North Dorset DC Blanford LC-Free Swimming Capital Development 
			 North Lincs Swimming Capital Modernisation Programme Riddings Pool 
			 Nottingham City Council Replace Noel St pool with new pool adj to Djanogly Academy 
			 NW Leicestershire District Council Ibstock Community College 
			 NW Leicestershire District Council King Edward VII community College 
			 Purbeck District Council Purbeck Sports Centre-Pool Plant Renewal 
			 Colchester Borough Council Fitness Pool Changing Room Facility Upgrade 
			 Colchester Borough Council Fitness Pool Conversion 
			 Colchester Borough Council Fitness Pool General Swimming Facility Upgrade 
			 Colchester Borough Council Fitness Pool Training and Teaching Room Extension 
			 Corby Borough Council Corby East Midlands International Pool 
			 Corby Borough Council Corby East Midlands International Pool 
			 Council of the Isles of Scilly Normandy pool-All weather cover for outdoor swimming pool 
			 Daventry District Council Modernisation of Daventry Leisure Centre 
			 Derbyshire Dales District Council Ashbourne Swimming Pool 
			 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council A Mega Splash at Dearne Valley Leisure Centre 
			 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council A Mega Splash at the Dome 
			 Erewash Borough Council West Park Leisure Centre Changing Rooms 
			 Fenland District Council Fenland's Swimming Facility modernisation programme 
			 Fenland District Council Manor Leisure Centre Swimming Pool Improvements Project 
			 Fenland District Council Hudson Leisure Centre Wisbech Swimming Pool Improvements 
			 Gateshead Council Leisure Centre Blaydon 
			 Halton Borough Council Kingsway Village Change 
			 Harborough District Council Harborough Leisure Centre-changing room modernisation 
			 Hartlepool Borough Council Mill House Leisure Centre 
			 High Peak Borough Council Buxton Spa Pool, Glossop Pool (2 applications) 
			 Leeds City Council Water treatment 
			 Leeds City Council Pool Covers 
			 Leeds City Council Lighting 
			 Leeds City Council Access 
			 Leeds City Council Scott Hall Aquatics Modernisation 
			 Leeds City Council Kirkstall Aquatics Modernisation 
			 Leicester City Council Various City Leisure Centres-7 sites 
			 London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (Abbey, Goresbrook and Dagenham) No Barriers-Inviting, Safe, Secure 
			 London Borough of Brent Changing Room Access Improvement-Willesden 
			 London Borough of Brent Refurbishment of wetside changing rooms-Vale Farm 
			 London Borough of Enfield Improvement to Southgate Leisure Centre 
			 London Borough of Enfield Improving Enfield's Swimming 
			 London Borough of Lambeth Brixton Recreation Centre Swimming Pool modernisation 
			 London Borough of Redbridge Ilford Pool Development 
			 London Borough of Waltham Forest Swim Safe for All 
			 London Borough of Waltham Forest Swimming Pool Improvements 
			 Milton Keynes Swimming pools modernisation programme 
			 Milton Keynes UA Middleton Pool modernisation 
			 North East Derbyshire District Council Refurbishment of Sharley Park Leisure Centre 
			 North Lincs Swimming Capital Modernisation Programme Ancholme Leisure Centre 
			 North Tyneside Council Tynemouth Pool Changing Village 
			 Northampton Borough Council Danes Camp Teaching Pool 
			 NW Leicestershire District Council Hermitage Leisure Centre 
			 Redcar and Cleveland BC 4 sites-Saltburn LC, Loftus LC, Eston Sports Academy, Guisborough 
			 Rugby Borough Council Free Swimming Initiative-Ken Marriot Leisure Centre 
			 Salford City Council Broughton Pool-Modernisation 
			 Sandwell MBC Sandwell CMP-Haden Hill Leisure B64 7HA 
			 Shropshire Council The Quarry 
			 Shropshire Council Oswald Park 
			 South Holland District Council Castle Pool Modernisation Project 
			 Southwark Council Camberwell Baths (FSMCF) 
			 St. Albans District Council Redevelopment of Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre 
			 St. Albans District Council Cotlandswick Leisure Facility London Colney 
			 St. Helens MBC (St. Helens CSN) Modernisation of Swimming Pool Changing Rooms 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Brough Park Leisure Centre 
			 Stevenage Borough Council Swimming Centre Changing Village Improvement Works 
			 Stockton on Tees BC (2 sites) Increasing Participation in Swimming 
			 Tendring District Council Dovercourt Swimming Pool Changing Room 
			 Tendring District Council Frinton and Walton Swimming Pool Changing Room Refurbishment 
			 Tendring District Council Swimming Pool Changing Room Refurbishment 
			 Thanet DC Ramsgate Sports Centre-New Pool 
			 Walsall Council-Bloxwich Leisure Centre FSCMP-Walsall Council 
			 Waverley Borough Council Refurbishment of Farnham Sports Centre wet-side 
			 Westminster City Council Westminster Capital Modernisation Programme 
			 Wigan Council Modernisation of Tyldesley Pool 
			 Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust Modernisation of Hindley Pool 
			 Calderdale Borough Council New build of Sowerby Bridge / Brighouse Pools 
		
	
	There were also 47 education applications for funding from pot 4 of the 2009-10 Free Swimming Capital Modernisation Programme in the first funding round. These correspond to the following projects:
	
		
			  Organisation  Project name 
			 Shropshire Council Church Stretton 
			 Shropshire Council William Brookes School 
			 South Staffordshire DC Codsall Swimming Pool Refurbishment 
			 South Tyneside MBC Brinkburn Community School 
			 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Hemsworth High School 
			 Wandsworth Council Southfields Sports College Swimming Pool Extension 
			 Warriner School Warriner Pool enclosure project 
			 Warrington Borough Council Orford Park 
			 Waveney District Council Waterlane Leisure Centre Redevelopment 
			 West Dorset DC New swimming facilities at Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre 
			 West Wiltshire District Council Warminster Changing refurbishment 
			 Wigan Council Modernisation of pool at Ashton Leisure Centre 
			 Woking BC Modernising outdoor swimming pools-St. Johns Primary Sch, Knapp Hill, Goldsworth 
			 Oxford City Council Inclusive pool development-City Academy

Swimming: West Yorkshire

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people resident in  (a) Leeds and  (b) West Yorkshire have participated in the scheme for free swimming for people over 60 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The table shows the total number of free swims that have taken place under the free swimming scheme by people aged 60 and over in Leeds and Yorkshire since the programme launched in April. This is not a measure of the total number of individual participants taking part in free swimming, as the Department does not hold these figures.
	The Department holds figures by local authority; county and region. Accordingly, figures for West Yorkshire are included within those for Yorkshire as a whole.
	
		
			   Leeds  Yorkshire 
			 April 9,219 43,149 
			 May 9,593 47,854 
			 June 11,291 54,132 
			 July 12,277 64,759 
			 August 11,133 59,589 
			 September 10,965 58,317 
			 Total (year to date) 64,478 327,800

PRIME MINISTER

Members: Correspondence

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Prime Minister if he will send a substantive response to the letter dated 24 August 2009 sent to him by Dr. Jim Swire requesting a full public inquiry into the Lockerbie bombing; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: A reply has been sent.

Tony Blair

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on proposals to nominate Tony Blair to the position of President of the European Council; what the outcome of such discussions has been; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) hon. and right hon. Members and  (b) members of the House of Lords of each party on proposals to nominate Tony Blair to the position of President of the European Council; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my spokesman on 27 October. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page21103
	A copy of the transcript has been placed in the Library of the House.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Criminal Proceedings

Philip Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General what period of time on average elapsed between the passing of a case file on an arrested individual to the Crown Prosecution Service and the notification to a police force on whether charges would be brought in each category of crime in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vera Baird: The Crown Prosecution service (CPS) case management system (CMS) reports the average number of calendar days that has elapsed since the first decision was sought from the police, to the date in which the last decision made was to charge. Data reported on CMS show that for the 12-month period from November 2008 to October 2009, the average number of calendar days taken to reach this decision was 8.6 days. This includes cases where a decision to charge was made: on the same day as the request from the police, either by CPS Direct, an out of hours telephone service; by way of face to face advice; or local telephone advice. It also includes those cases where the police were required to submit further evidence prior to a decision to charge being made; and those more complex cases where detailed written advice was provided to the police.
	It is not possible to provide a breakdown of this information by category of offence.

Prosecutions: Shoplifting

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent representations she has received from small businesses on the rate of prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service for shoplifting offences.

Vera Baird: As far as I know neither the Attorney-General's Office nor the Crown Prosecution Service has received representations from small businesses. The Government take very seriously the need for the whole criminal justice system to be as effective as possible in tackling crime against shopkeepers and small businesses.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General when she plans to respond to Question 
	(1)  276122, on Crown Prosecution Service rates of prosecution, tabled on 13 May 2009;
	(2)  292029, on the response to a parliamentary question, tabled on 9 October 2009;
	(3)  276122, on rates of prosecution in the Crown Prosecution Service, tabled on 13 May 2009.

Vera Baird: The information is set out in the answer to question 276122 answered today.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials while overseas in each of the last three years.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not separately record expenditure on overnight accommodation. Lists of the overseas visits made by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 in 2006-07 and of the overseas visits made by all Ministers costing in excess of £500 in 2007-08 and 2008-09 are published at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx
	All travel is undertaken by the most efficient and costs effective way, in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Children: Prosecutions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children under the age of 17 were subject to legal proceedings following their role in criminal activity in Northern Ireland in  (a) 2003 and  (b) 2008.

Paul Goggins: The number of persons under the age of 17 prosecuted at court for an offence in 2003 was 1,068. In 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available), 923 persons were prosecuted.

Departmental Postal Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services; and when each such contract expires.

Shaun Woodward: Royal Mail provides external mail services to my Department. This is not a tendered service and therefore there is no formal expiry date.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many helplines his Department operates; and how much his Department has received from the operation of such helplines in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) operates two helplines:
	1. Mentally disordered offenders victim information scheme; and
	2. AccessNI-a criminal records disclosure and vetting service for statutory, community and voluntary bodies.
	The NIO does not receive any payment from the operation of these helplines.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will consider the merits of securing accreditation of his Department's helplines to the Helplines Association's quality standard; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office aims to provide a high-quality service, which reflects best practice, through the current operating procedures used for its two helplines (Access NI and the mentally disordered offenders victim information scheme). While there may be benefits to be gained from securing accreditation to The Helplines Association's quality standard I do not consider that, at current user levels, the resource implications involved in seeking accreditation would be justified on value-for-money grounds.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials while overseas in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and Executive NDPBs, spent £2,728.56 on overnight accommodation for Ministers and £11,145.37 for officials while overseas in 2008-09.
	Due to the way this expenditure is recorded on the NIO financial system, figures for the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	The following link to the Cabinet Office website provides costs for Ministers' travel overseas, but only provides a total cost of the visit and does not separate the various areas of expenditure;
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx

Devolution

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what date he expects devolution of powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly to have been completed.

Paul Goggins: The Government believe that the time is right for the Northern Ireland Assembly to complete the process of devolution by requesting the transfer of policing and justice powers. However, the actual timing of devolution remains for the Assembly itself to decide upon, as set out in section 4 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Good progress continues to be made towards the completion of devolution and I believe that the financial package set out by the Prime Minister should enable the parties to move forward with the process.

Northern Ireland Policing Board: Finance

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what proportion of the administration budget of the Northern Ireland Policing Board was spent on the operation of district policing partnerships in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of district policing partnerships in Northern Ireland;
	(3)  who the members of each district policing partnership in Northern Ireland are; and what the declared political affiliation of each is;
	(4)  how many meetings of each district policing partnership in Northern Ireland have taken place in each of the last two years.

Paul Goggins: These are operational matters for the Northern Ireland Policing Board, which is independent of Government. The hon. Gentleman may wish to write to the Chief Executive of the Policing Board.

Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff there are in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland; and how much it spent on  (a) administration and  (b) public relations in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: These are operational matters relating to the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. I have asked the Chief Executive to reply to the hon. Member directly, and will arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Helicopters

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many helicopters are available for use by the Police Service of Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what provision has been made for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to deploy airborne thermal imaging cameras to detect cannabis factories in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Manpower

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff of each rank work in the Police Service of Northern Ireland Historical Enquiries Team.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Special Purchase Evacuated Dwellings Scheme

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the performance of the Special Purchase of Evacuated Dwellings Scheme against its objectives; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Special Purchase of Evacuated Dwellings Scheme is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. The scheme is operated by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive which is funded by the Department for Social Development.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Press Gallery

David Drew: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how long each member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery has been a member of it.

Nick Harvey: The House authorities do not hold information on how long individuals have been a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Females: Developing Countries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much her Department has spent on the promotion of women's rights in developing countries in each of the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: No expenditure has been spent in each of the last 12 months by the Government Equalities Office in promoting the UK's policies for women's rights in developing countries. This area of responsibility lies with the Department for International Development-12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 84W.
	The UK Government are strongly committed to promoting and protecting women's rights, as evidenced by the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1986.
	In addition, the UK actively participates in the annual UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings in New York. At its 50th session in 2006, actions were agreed that member states and civil society actors should undertake in order to enhance the participation of women in development.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Postal Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services; and when each such contract expires.

Michael Foster: There are no companies under contract to the Department for International Development to provide mail services.

Pakistan: Internally Displaced Persons

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1379W, on Pakistan: internally displaced persons, to which humanitarian agencies and for which projects his Department has allocated funds.

Michael Foster: The following table shows the Department for International Development's allocation of funding to humanitarian agencies and projects in support of internally displaced people in Pakistan.
	
		
			  Funded  a gency  Total  f unding (£) 
			 UN/NGOs Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan (PHRP) 12,500,000 
			 ICRC 9,000,000 
			 Monitoring and ex-post evaluation 250,000 
			 Sarhad Rural Support Programme (Local NGO) 250,000 
			 Total 22,000,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Breakdown of contribution to UN/NGOs for Pakistan  humanitarian response 
			  Plan  Total funding (£) 
			 UN System 7,718,683 
			 NGOs funded - 
			 Church World Services - for the supply of non food items 743,414 
			 ACTED - for water and sanitation services and early recovery activities 733,085 
			 Islamic Relief - for water and sanitation services 147,576 
			 Muslim Aid - for water and sanitation services 113,870 
			 Oxfam - for water and sanitation services 550,560 
			 Mercy Corps - for water and sanitation services 305,867 
			 Merlin - for emergency health services 373,157 
			 International Medical Core - for healthcare services 495,504 
			 Save the Children - for emergency healthcare services and livelihood support 538,325 
			 Handicap International - for assistance to vulnerable persons 244,693 
			 Relief International-for transitional sustainable solutions 305,867 
			 Concern Worldwide - for skill development initiatives 229,400 
			 NGO Sub-total 4,781,317 
			 Total 12,500,000 
		
	
	The UK has committed an additional £10 million to help people displaced by the fighting in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. This commitment will be distributed through the UN to aid agencies working in NWFP. This assistance will support early recovery to provide food, water emergency shelter and other critical humanitarian help to those most in need.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Michael Foster: The conflict that ended in January made worse an already extremely serious humanitarian situation. Today, more than nine months on, 75 per cent. of Gazans still rely on some form of food aid and over 60 per cent. do not have daily access to water. The onset of winter will further affect those whose homes remain damaged or destroyed since the end of the conflict.
	Since the start of the conflict in December 2008, the UK has pledged almost £47 million for immediate humanitarian assistance, early recovery and reconstruction. Whilst some basic humanitarian assistance has been entering Gaza, access constraints have severely hampered early recovery and reconstruction efforts. The UK will continue to press the Israeli Government for the provision of full, immediate and unhindered access for aid, aid workers and reconstruction materials, in line with fundamental humanitarian principles.

St. Helena: Airports

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 28 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 16-17WS, on St. Helena, on what date he expects to respond to the consultation on options for access to the island; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The public consultation document, available on the Department for International Development's website, lays out the timings of the consultation process.

St. Helena: Airports

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to publish the responses to the consultation on access to St. Helena.

Michael Foster: The consultation report is available on the Department for International Development's website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

St. Helena: Airports

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with commercial organisations on the provision of an airport on St. Helena.

Michael Foster: The Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with commercial organisations on the provision of an airport for St. Helena.

St. Helena: Airports

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on access to St. Helena.

Michael Foster: The consultation report, available on the Department for International Development's website, contains an annex listing all recent representations made to the Secretary of State regarding access to St. Helena.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Crimes of Violence

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many bus drivers have been assaulted by passengers in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.

Crossrail Line

Lee Scott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has spent to date on the Crossrail project.

Sadiq Khan: In the period prior to the granting of Royal Assent for the Crossrail Act in July 2008, Crossrail Ltd. (CRL), formerly Cross London Rail Links (CLRL), and the Department for Transport (DFT) spent £166 million in preparation for Crossrail. This figure includes the costs incurred by CRL and DFT in support of the Crossrail Act 2008 and related agreements and DFT's financial, legal and technical consultancy fees in support of the parliamentary process and agreements.
	From the establishment of CLRL in 2001 up to the granting of Royal Assent in July 2008, the combined expenditure by CLRL and CRL in relation to the costs of Crossrail works, including expenditure on design and land acquisition, was £227 million.
	For the period after Royal Assent, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 998-99W.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether there is a business plan for the flexible benefits project in his central Department.

Chris Mole: The strategy for introducing the flexible benefits programme is based on existing HMRC approved schemes in support of government policy and outcomes on, for example, wellbeing and the environment. A project plan is in place governing the delivery of the programme.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when the last equal pay review for each of his Department's bargaining units was conducted.

Chris Mole: The last equal pay review conducted for each of the Department for Transport's bargaining units is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Bargaining unit  Last equal pay review 
			 Department for Transport (Centre) September 2006 
			 Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency July 2006 
			 Highways Agency July 2005 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency July 2008 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency April 2007 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency October 2009 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency July 2009 
			 Driver Standards Agency May 2009

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Todd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department is taking to implement the efficiency recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme relating to his Department; and what training is available to  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department in respect of the delivery of value for money savings.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport is committed to participating fully in the work of the Government's Operational Efficiency Programme and we have recently taken part in the government-wide benchmarking exercise of several corporate functions.
	To complement this, we have set in hand further work to review our corporate functions and to lead our transformation programme. In line with the recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme, I have assumed responsibility as the Minister responsible for overseeing delivery of value for money in the Department.
	The Department offers a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support the delivery of value for money savings, and this ensures that appropriate training is available to all who require it.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will consider the merits of securing accreditation of his Department's helplines to the Helplines Association's quality standard; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 221W.

Motorcycles: Accidents

Philip Dunne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving motorcycles resulted in  (a) fatalities and  (b) serious personal injuries in each local authority area in each year since 1979.

Paul Clark: Two tables showing the number of road traffic accidents involving motorcycles that resulted in  (a) fatalities and  (b) serious personal injuries in each local authority area in each year since 1979 have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. To allow for boundary changes, table 1 shows accidents in district authorities from 1979 to 1995 and table 2 shows accidents in highway authorities from 1994 to 2008.

Motorcycles: Safety

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what percentage of his Department's road safety budget is allocated to motorcycle safety in 2009-10;
	(2)  what his Department's budget is for  (a) bicycle safety,  (b) pedestrian safety and  (c) motorcycle safety in 2009-10;
	(3)  with reference to page 5 of his Department's publication, The Government's Motorcycling Strategy, what percentage of his Department's budget is allocated to measures to mainstream motorcycling in 2009-10.

Paul Clark: Most spending on road safety is undertaken by local authorities from their own resources, including general Government grant and locally raised revenues. The total amount spent on road safety, including cycle, pedestrian and motorcycle safety, is not recorded. In 2009-10 the Department for Transport's spending on cycle, pedestrian and motorcycle safety is as follows:
	Think campaign-£1,685,000 on all Child Safety, including the development of teaching materials for educational settings, £1,840,000 for teenage pedestrian road safety and £3,385,000 on motorcycle safety.
	Road Safety Partnership Grant-£1,043,000 on motorcycle safety. Other programme budget for road safety projects that will impact on all road users, including pedestrians, cycles and motorcycles totals £6,775,000.
	Research-£238,000 on our cycle safety project, £230,000 on motorcycle safety projects and £126,500 on motorcycle engineering projects. £149,985 on research into the feasibility of allowing motorcyclists to use Advanced Stop Lines at signal junctions, currently reserved for pedal cyclists.
	Cycle Training-£9.5 million in direct grants to local authorities and schools to deliver over 200,000 additional National Standard cycle training places for children with a further £500,000 for extra trainers to deliver the increased training. The programme is primarily aimed at encouraging more children to cycle specifically on school journeys, but should help them to do so more safely.
	The safety of all road users, including cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists, also benefits from our activities and spending on broader road safety measures, including changes to the road environment and to improve driver behaviour.

Motorcycles: Safety

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with motor manufacturers on the requirement for daytime running lights.

Paul Clark: Department for Transport officials have been involved in ongoing discussions with motor manufacturers relating to the development and implementation of European requirements on the fitment of daytime running lamps to new vehicles.

Motorways: Closures

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many times a motorway has been closed because of someone on or near it threatening to commit suicide in the last 12 months.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency has recorded 26 motorway closures owing to suicides or persons threatening to commit suicide in the year to September 2009.

Motorways: Closures

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on how many occasions in the last 12 months the initial decision to fully close a motorway by a road policing officer has been reviewed by  (a) a supervisor,  (b) the Highways Agency and  (c) the Highway Authority; and in how many such cases the decision has been overturned.

Chris Mole: A decision to close a motorway is made by the police where the nature and/or severity of the incident demands it.
	Highways Agency Traffic Officers and their supervisors do not have the authority to overturn an instruction given by a police constable.
	Discussion may take place between the Traffic Officer Service and the police following an incident to identify the best way forward in those circumstances, but a police officer's decision is final.
	Therefore the Highways Agency, as Highway Authority, has not reviewed any initial decisions by a roads policing officer to fully close a motorway.

Network Rail: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what proportion of the proposed efficiencies agreed between Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation for the period 2009-14 are expected to arise from reductions in staffing.

Chris Mole: It is for Network Rail to decide how it achieves the efficiency improvements which the Office of Rail Regulation factored into its determination of the company's access charges for the period 2009-14. The Office of Rail Regulation will provide assurance that Network Rail's approach to achieving these efficiencies will also enable the company to continue to improve safety and performance and to increase capacity.

Office of Rail Regulation: Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) display energy certificate and  (b) advisory report for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by the Office of Rail Regulation.

Chris Mole: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) leases a portion of the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) central London estate to house its headquarters functions. The CAA manages the accommodation and has stated its intent to adhere to the arrangements being made for the private sector under the Government's carbon reduction commitment rather than the display energy certificate (DEC) requirement for public buildings.
	The ORR rents desk space for 14 regional offices from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under a memorandum of terms of occupation. DECs and advisory reports for those buildings which fall under the DEC requirement will be placed electronically in the Libraries of the House. A DEC is to be obtained in 2009 for two of the buildings and will be placed in the Libraries of the House when available. Three of the buildings are below 1,000 square metres so are outside the scope of the DEC requirement.
	The ORR directly leases an office in Glasgow. However, due to its small size it is also outside the scope of the DEC requirement.

Parking Offences: Fees and Charges

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on levying  (a) credit card fees and  (b) other surcharges on parking fines.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport's operational guidance to local authorities in England on parking policy and enforcement was published in March 2008.

Railway Stations: Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the capacity of the platforms at Euston station to receive the longer Pendolino trains planned for 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: Network Rail as custodian of the railway infrastructure has confirmed that Euston station can accommodate the longer Pendolino trains currently under construction.

Railways: Finance

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much has been  (a) spent on and  (b) not yet spent and contractually committed to the proposed Intercity Express Programme train.

Chris Mole: With regards to the amounts spent on the proposed Intercity Express Programme train, known as the Super Express Train, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1150-1W, to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs. Villiers).
	To date, there are no contractual commitments. The Department for Transport is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with the Preferred Bidder, Agility Trains.

Railways: Greater London

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of  (a) economic and  (b) environmental benefits to rail freight operators of electrification of the Gospel Oak to Barking line; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: This scheme was one of a number assessed in Network Rail's Network Route Utilisation Strategy concerning electrification which was published in October 2009. This can be found at:
	http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20 documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/network/working%20group%204%20-%20electrification%20strategy/networkrus_electrification.pdf

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many railway passenger carriages have been  (a) exported,  (b) scrapped and  (c) refurbished for future domestic use in each year since 1994.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested. It may be available from the relevant Rolling Stock Leasing Companies. For passenger rolling stock, these are Angel Trains, HSBC Rail and Porterbrook.

Transdev: Mergers

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions he has had with  (a) the French Government and  (b) Transport for London on the proposed merger between RATP and the UK operations of the bus operator Transdev; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: I have had no discussions with either the French Government or Transport for London on this subject.

Transport: Planning

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which draft national policy statements under the Planning Act 2008 for which his Department is responsible he expects to publish before March 2010.

Paul Clark: I expect to have published draft national policy statements covering ports and national networks (covering strategic roads, railways and rail freight) by March 2010.

Transport: Working Hours

Richard Burden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on road transport workers of the implementation of regulations on working time.

Paul Clark: The European Working Time Directive (2002/15/EC) on the organisation of the working time of mobile workers in road transport specifies the provisions for working time, breaks and night work. It is implemented in Great Britain by the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005. A comprehensive review of these Regulations was completed in 2008.
	Following the introduction of the Regulations, Labour Force Statistics showed that there had been a small drop in the average number of hours worked by HGV drivers. At this stage, it has not been possible to ascertain whether the Regulations have improved safety for road transport workers.

DEFENCE

Reserve Forces

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the reserve forces.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answers the Secretary of State for Defence gave earlier to the hon. Members for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne) and Norwich, North (Chloe Smith).

Territorial Army

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to meet the training requirements of the Territorial Army and the cadet forces; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: As we announced on 28 October, £20 million of new money from the Treasury has been ring-fenced for Territorial Army training.

Territorial Army

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate the Chief of the General Staff has made of the Territorial Army retention rate from 1 April 2010.

Bob Ainsworth: The Army were of course aware that the six-month reduction in training they proposed might impact on retention. They believed they could manage this risk. None the less having listened to the strength of feeling on this issue, I decided that training should recommence as soon as possible.

Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Territorial Army.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne), Norwich, North (Chloe Smith) and Croydon, South (Richard Ottaway).

Territorial Army

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on operational manpower levels of proposed reductions to Territorial Army training.

Bob Ainsworth: As we announced on 28 October, £20 million of new money from the Treasury has been ring-fenced for Territorial Army training. We have consistently made clear that TA members deploying on operations will get all the training that the Army considers appropriate and necessary.

Territorial Army

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future deployment of the Territorial Army.

Bob Ainsworth: Operational requirements and force levels, Regular and Reservist, are kept under constant review. All Territorial Army personnel who are mobilised for operations will be appropriately trained before they deploy.

Afghanistan

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the internal and external threats to the military security of Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave earlier to the hon. Members for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands) and Kettering (Mr. Hollobone).

Afghanistan

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the internal and external threats to the military security of Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave earlier to the hon. Members for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands), Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) and Leominster (Bill Wiggin).

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the Royal Air Force to UK military operations in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The RAF makes a vital contribution to operations in Afghanistan. Our aircraft perform a number of roles such as: close air support; reconnaissance and surveillance; providing support to land operations; and re-supplying front line troops. In particular, Chinook and Hercules aircraft provide an invaluable aeromedical service with rapid transfer to specialist care facilities in Afghanistan. As part of the airbridge, C17 and Tristar aircraft provide a consistent and reliable service moving large numbers of personnel into sometimes hostile environments under difficult conditions and medically evacuating injured service personnel back to the UK. Many RAF personnel also fulfil a range of roles on the ground, including force protection around Kandahar airfield and Camp Bastion.

Gray Report

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he plans to implement the recommendations made in the Gray report on defence acquisition.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Rochdale (Paul Rowen) and Dunfermline and Fife West (Willie Rennie).

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy personnel have been deployed in Afghanistan in each month since January 2006.

Bill Rammell: The percentage of Royal Navy personnel deployed in Afghanistan as a proportion of the endorsed troop level by Operation Herrick roulement is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Herrick roulement  Date  Royal Navy personnel deployed as a percentage of the endorsed UK troop level for Operation Herrick at the time( 1) 
			 Herrick 10 April to October 2009 5 
			 Herrick 9 October 2008 to April 2009 30 
			 Herrick 8 April to October 2008 5 
			 Herrick 7 October 2007 to April 2008 15 
			 Herrick 6 April to October 2007 10 
			 Herrick 5 November 2006 to April 2007 35 
			 Herrick 4 May to November 2006 5 
			 (1 )Rounded to the nearest 5 per cent. at the mid-point of each roulement to provide the most consistent representation of personnel in theatre. 
		
	
	The precise number of personnel in each theatre at any one time fluctuates very significantly and on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces and visits.
	The higher percentage of Royal Navy personnel for Herrick roulements 9 and 5 are accounted for by the deployment of 3 Commando Brigade as Task Force Helmand which increased the proportion of Royal Navy personnel in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many additional Chinook helicopters he expects to be deployed in Afghanistan in 2010.

Bill Rammell: We are converting eight Chinook Mk 3 helicopters to a support helicopter role. The first of these aircraft will be delivered for training purposes before the end of this year, with the remaining seven being delivered by the end of 2010. This will increase the size of the pool of Chinooks available for deployment but I will not comment on the specific number of helicopters to be deployed to Afghanistan as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Air Force: Manpower

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Air Commodores and  (b) Air Marshals were on the active list in the Royal Air Force in each year since 1997.

Kevan Jones: The number of Air Commodores and Air Marshals in the Royal Air Force at 1 April each year since 1997 is provided in the following table. The ranks of Air Vice Marshal and Air Chief Marshal have also been included in the table for clarity.
	
		
			   Paid rank 
			  1 April  Air Chief Marshal  Air Marshal  Air Vice Marshal  Air Commodore 
			 1997 5 8 34 95 
			 1998 4 7 32 92 
			 1999 4 7 31 92 
			 2000 3 8 32 98 
			 2001 2 8 31 96 
			 2002 3 7 31 90 
			 2003 4 7 29 88 
			 2004 4 4 34 90 
			 2005 4 8 27 92 
			 2006 2 8 27 92 
			 2007 4 6 30 95 
			 2008 (1)3 (1)6 (1)25 (1)94 
			 2009 (1)3 (1)9 (1)24 (1)90 
			 (1 )Provisional.  Notes: 1. The figures are for trained Royal Air Force only and therefore exclude Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves and all other Reserves. 2. Due to the implementation of the new Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) System all Royal Air Force data from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review. 3. These figures are published regularly in TSP 9 which is available at: www.dasa.mod.uk. 4. This information is held in the House of Commons Library.

Aircraft Carriers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the fleet of aircraft carriers was last refurbished; and what the life expectancy of the fleet is.

Quentin Davies: The current fleet of three Invincible Class aircraft carriers all underwent a major refurbishment (refit) at Rosyth between 1999 and 2005. HMS Ark Royal completed in 2001, HMS Invincible completed in 2003 and HMS Illustrious completed in 2005.
	On current plans, the Out of Service Dates (OSDs) are: HMS Invincible 2010, HMS Ark Royal in 2014 and HMS Illustrious 2016. Our ship programmes are kept under continuous review to ensure that the In-Service Dates for the Queen Elizabeth (QE) Class carriers remain coherent with the OSDs for the Invincible Class.

Aircraft Carriers

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent plans are for the procurement and future use of the new aircraft carrier; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The Government remain fully committed to the manufacture of two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. The carriers are a core component of the overall Carrier Strike Programme and a cornerstone of future defence policy.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to funding for the Army Cadet Force on his Department's fulfilment of its commitments under the Government's Youth agenda.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 28 October 2009
	The Ministry of Defence's main effort is Afghanistan and in the very difficult financial climate hard decisions have had to be taken. This has resulted in a reduction to the funds available for this year to our Cadet Forces, and specifically to the Army Cadets. This decision has not been taken lightly.
	The Department's commitment to the Youth agenda remains undiminished as evidenced by our recent response to the Milburn Report where, despite the challenging financial situation, we have accepted in principle the recommendation to ensure that those state school pupils who wish to get involved in Cadets may do so. We are investigating innovative methods of extending cadet provision to state school pupils which include working closely with the Department for Children Schools and Families.
	Financial constraints prevent the Government from meeting this recommendation in full, immediately. However this year, for example, we have delivered an additional six London Challenge Partnerships (Independent School CCFs offering Cadet places to neighbouring state school pupils) and the Air Cadet Organisation plans an annual expansion, targeted at state school pupils, of 700 cadets per year until 2018.

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department allocated to the provision of soldier accommodation in  (a) total and  (b) the West Midlands in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2008.

Kevan Jones: The information is not held centrally in the format requested and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to upgrade soldier accommodation.

Kevan Jones: The provision of good quality living accommodation for both married and single service personnel continues to be a top departmental priority. Decades of under funding means that the standard of service accommodation has lagged behind the expectations of our people. Some housing stock is old.
	Investment over the last seven years has begun to correct this, but there is much more to be done. The Department plans to invest some £3 billion on accommodation improvement programmes over the next decade. Since 2001, over £200 million has been spent upgrading some 14,000 service family accommodation (SFA) properties to the top standard for condition.
	More remains to be done, but progress is being made and over 90 per cent. of SFA is now at the two highest standards for condition. Our aim is to ensure that by March 2013 very little, if any, of the occupied SFA estate should be below standard 2 for condition.
	In addition, since 2003, some 35,000 new or improved single living accommodation bed-spaces have been delivered as part of a £1.4 billion programme that will see a further 21,000 delivered by 2013.

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what maintenance programmes are in place for soldier accommodation.

Kevan Jones: There are various prime contracts, private finance initiatives (PFI) and other arrangements in place across the Department for the maintenance of accommodation for service personnel. These include the Housing Prime Contract, the Regional Prime Contracts, Project Allenby Connaught and the Colchester Garrison PFI among others. Although these arrangements vary in size and scope, they include programmes of pre-planned maintenance and provision for reactive maintenance to be carried out within agreed response times.

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to build new soldier accommodation in the UK.

Kevan Jones: In addition to the 35,000 single living accommodation bed-spaces delivered in the UK since 2003, the majority of which are new builds, the Department plans to deliver an additional 20,000 bed-spaces by 2013.
	Requirements for new service family accommodation (SFA) are usually satisfied through bulk hirings or purchases on the open market.
	However, examples of sites where new SFA may be built or procured, include Salisbury Plain, Innsworth, St. Athan, Litchfield, Stafford and Catterick.

Armed Forces: Housing

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence through which commercial rental agencies his Department facilitates the substitute single living accommodation scheme.

Kevan Jones: All Substitute Service Single Living Accommodation is sourced via the Ministry of Defence contractor, HCR Ltd.

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average occupancy rate of the Defence Estates' housing stock was in each year since the formation of Defence Estates; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: The following table, extracted from the United Kingdom Defence Statistics published on 30 September 2009, shows the requested information for Service Family Accommodation properties in the UK.
	
		
			  United Kingdom 
			   1990  1997  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Total permanent holdings in the UK (Thousand) 75.0 68.6 53.8 52.8 51.9 51.8 51.1 51.2 49.9 
			 Number of vacant accommodation (Thousand) 11.8 13.2 8.8 8.2 7.9 9.5 10.1 10.5 8.4 
			 Vacant properties as a percentage of all dwellings 16 19 16 16 15 18 20 21 17 
		
	
	The complete table can be found at the following link:
	www.dasa.mod.uk
	The latest percentage of vacant properties for 2009 is 15.9 per cent.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have sustained  (a) damage to,  (b) partial loss and  (c) total loss of (i) upper and (ii) lower limbs in (A) Afghanistan and (B) Iraq in each of the last 36 months; what proportion of such injuries in each category became infected; and if he will make a statement.  [Official Report, 11 November 2009, Vol. 499, c. 7MC.]

Kevan Jones: holding answer 9 September 2009
	The following table gives the numbers of surviving UK Service personnel whose injuries included those coded as a traumatic or surgical amputation, partial or complete, for either upper or lower limbs between 1 April 2006 and 30 September 2009 as a result of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. This injury code covers injuries ranging from the loss of part of a finger or toe up to the loss of an entire limb or limbs. To indicate the number with severe multiple limb injuries, those classified as significant multiple amputees have suffered limb amputations above the wrist or ankle on more than one limb; in other words, they have lost at least two hands or feet. Note that there were no significant multiple amputees arising from operations in Iraq in this period.
	
		
			  Period  Afghanistan partial or complete limb amputees  of which significant multiple amputees  Iraq partial or complete limb amputees 
			 April 6 - December 6 7 - 5 
			 January 7 - December 7 14  10 
			 January 8 - December 8 27 6 - 
			 January 9 - September 9 32 13 0

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people who joined the armed forces since 1997 were from  (a) England,  (b) Teesside and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Bill Rammell: The following table shows the number of officers and other ranks who have joined the regular armed forces by applying through their local Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO). Information for Teesside is not available but data are provided for the AFCOs in Middlesbrough and Newcastle. However, these figures do not provide a comprehensive picture because it does not guarantee that all recruits were born or live in that particular area. For example, some recruits may have been at university and so used the most conveniently located AFCO.
	
		
			   England  Middlesbrough  Newcastle 
			  Royal Navy
			 2003-04 3,139 87 148 
			 2004-05 2,953 79 155 
			 2005-06 3,227 90 162 
			 2006-07 3,220 81 153 
			 2007-08 3,314 68 143 
			 2008-09 3,573 92 165 
			 
			  Army
			 1997-98 9,528 391 408 
			 1998-99 10,804 396 430 
			 1999-2000 10,424 344 323 
			 2000-01 9,716 270 244 
			 2001-02 10,013 211 211 
			 2002-03 10,967 374 265 
			 2003-04 9,989 295 237 
			 2004-05 7,637 189 177 
			 2005-06 8,621 212 136 
			 2006-07 9,624 191 216 
			 2007-08 9,584 159 152 
			 2008-09 10,358 139 190 
			 
			  Royal Air Force (RAF)
			 2003-04 4,406 165 131 
			 2004-05 2,459 71 65 
			 2005-06 1,340 51 45 
			 2006-07 1,611 52 42 
			 2007-08 2,598 77 102 
			 2008-09 3,687 154 167 
		
	
	As shown in the table, no information is available for earlier years for Royal Navy and RAF as these data are not held in the requested format.

Army: Cadets

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has made to mark the 150th anniversary of the Cadet Force in 2010.

Kevan Jones: MOD is overseeing and supporting a range of national and regional activities commemorating the 150th anniversary of the MOD Sponsored Cadet Forces. Led by the Head of Reserve Forces and Cadets, a project steering group is developing plans which aim to celebrate and promote the success and value of the Cadet movement in 2010 as well as, among other things, act as a catalyst for Adult Volunteer and Cadet recruiting, and obtain wider support for the movement.

Army: Marines

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many lieutenant colonels there are in the  (a) Army and  (b) Royal Marines.

Bill Rammell: The number of Lieutenant Colonels in  (a) the British Army and  (b) the Royal Marines is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Lieutenant Colonels in the Regular Army and Royal Marines as at  1 September 2009 
			   Number 
			 Army (1)1,790 
			 Royal Marines (1)120 
			 (1) Provisional.  Notes: The figures are for trained Regular Army and Royal Marines only and therefore exclude Full-Time Reserve Service, Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, Mobilised Reserves, TA, all other Reserves and Gurkhas, but include those individuals that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP. Due to the implementation of the new Joint Personnel Administration System all Army strength statistics from 1 April 2007, and Naval Service strength statistics from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review. The numbers have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

British Forces Post Office

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has commissioned a review into the British Forces Post Office; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: The Secretary of State for Defence has not commissioned a review into the British Forces Post Office.

Defence: Research

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department gave to each Defence Technology Centre in each of the last five years; and how much each centre spent in  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Northern Ireland,  (d) Scotland and  (e) overseas in each such year.

Quentin Davies: The Ministry of Defence has placed contracts with the four Defence Technology Centres (DTC) each receiving the amounts set out in the following table in each of the last five years. Figures for the Electro Magnetic Remote Sensing (EMRS) DTC are based on actual outturn and those for the remaining DTCs are estimates. Information on location of spending is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ million( 1) 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Electro Magnetic Remote Sensing (EMRS) 5.0 5.0 6.7 6.0 5.0 
			 Human Factors Integration (HFI) 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 2.8 
			 Data and Information Fusion 5.0 5.0 4.0 6.0 6.0 
			 Systems Engineering and Autonomous Systems (SEAS) 0 5.0 5.7 6.2 5.2 
			 (1) Exclusive of VAT at current prices.

Departmental Air Travel

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights within Great Britain officials of his Department took in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse.

Bob Ainsworth: In financial year 2008-09, 175,342 single domestic flights were booked centrally. The data include both military personnel and civil servants as this information cannot be separated. The total cost was £15.9 million. Records are not held centrally of any commercial flights booked through other means.
	All civilian and military travel is conducted in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Civil Service Management Code and Joint Services Publication 800.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to implement the efficiency recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme relating to his Department; and what training is available to  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department in respect of the delivery of value for money savings.

Kevan Jones: The MOD is firmly committed to delivering the recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP). I have been appointed Value for Money (VFM) Minster and am supported in this role by a board composed of the Minister for Strategic Defence Acquisition Reform, the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, the Second Permanent Under-Secretary and the Directors General Finance and Strategy, ensuring senior ownership for driving efficiency throughout the Department. A single programme has been established to deliver the VFM agenda, encompassing existing work and initiatives from the OEP and the Public Value Programme. This includes benchmarking of Defence back office costs and a review of MOD assets, where progress will be reported at Pre-Budget Report 2009. In addition, a VFM Team has been formed across MOD business areas which supports individuals at all levels in the delivery of VFM savings. Specifically on OEP, departmental leads have been appointed for each of the work strands to implement the recommendations. Ministers, senior officers and officials are fully aware of the guiding OEP principles established by HM Treasury. Value for money is integral to all the work of the Department and a wide range of learning and development opportunities are available to assist with driving the VFM programme.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what timetable was set for the completion of the reports of the two studies announced by his Department in the last 12 months into the existence of a causal link between exposure to nuclear testing and veterans' illnesses.

Kevan Jones: The studies which I announced on 21 April 2009,  Official Report, column 6WS, were not designed to investigate the possible existence of a causal link between exposure to nuclear testing and veterans' illnesses, but to investigate the health needs of nuclear veterans. My officials have been meeting with representatives from the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association to agree the principles of this project. Expressions of interest have been invited from the academic community.

Hebrides Range

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will compensate Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Council of the Western Isles) for the money it spent supporting a taskforce to oppose the proposed plans to downgrade the Hebrides missile ranges.

Quentin Davies: No. Compensating Comhairle nan Eilean Siar does not constitute an appropriate use of Defence Funds.

Hebrides Range

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Government spent on its consultation over plans to downgrade the missile range and its associated sites on the Western Isles.

Quentin Davies: The consultation on the proposed changes at the Hebrides Range was conducted as part of normal departmental business and it is, therefore, not possible to provide a figure. The only discrete costs that can be identified relate to travel and subsistence expenses incurred by the MOD as a result of visits to the range in support of the consultation process. These costs amount to less than £2,000.

Helicopters: Training

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Chinook heavy lift helicopters are retained in a training role by the Royal Air Force  (a) in the UK and  (b) overseas.

Bill Rammell: As at 29 October, the Ministry of Defence possesses 46 Chinook helicopters. Of these, 28 are in the Forward Fleet which is used for both operational purposes and for training. I cannot break this figure down as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the operational security of our armed forces.
	However, I can confirm that all Chinooks routinely used for training are based at RAF Odiham. There are no Chinooks retained overseas for training purposes, although they may from time to time take part in overseas training exercises. Of the remaining 18 Chinooks, 10 are currently undergoing Depth Maintenance and eight are being converted into a Support Helicopter role.

HMS Endurance

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the  (a) repair or  (b) replacement of HMS Endurance.

Quentin Davies: Options for restoring our Ice Patrol capability are presently being examined and no final decisions on whether to repair or replace HMS Endurance have yet been taken.

HMS Prince of Wales

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether HMS Prince of Wales will be classified as an aircraft carrier or a helicopter and commando carrier; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The MOD placed a contract with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) for the manufacture of two Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers, and we remain fully committed to the project. Both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are classified as aircraft carriers.
	In addition to their primary role as aircraft carriers, the QE Class will provide a legitimate secondary role as an LPH platform when HMS Ocean is in refit, making the QE Class a versatile defence asset. This secondary role has always been a planning assumption of the QE Class.

HMS Queen Elizabeth

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when  (a) HMS Queen Elizabeth and  (b) HMS Prince of Wales are expected to join the fleet; and what (i) types and (ii) quantities of each type of aircraft are to be carried on each.

Quentin Davies: The planned in-service dates for the HMS Queen Elizabeth and the HMS Prince of Wales are towards the end of 2015 and 2018 respectively.
	The Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers will be capable of supporting a tailored Joint Force Air Group of up to 40 aircraft each. This will mainly comprise the Joint Strike Fighter, but will also include Merlin and Sea King Helicopters, depending on the nature of the tasks and the operating environment. Prior to the entry into service of the Joint Strike Fighter, it is intended that the primary fixed wing aircraft will be the Harrier GR9.

HMS Vanguard: Accidents

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long HMS Vanguard was non-operational following her recent collision at sea; what the  (a) cost of repair and  (b) extent of the resultant damage was; and how long the repair work took.

Quentin Davies: Repairs to HMS Vanguard, following her collision with FS Le Triomphant earlier this year, were carried out at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde under existing support arrangements with Babcock costing approximately £1 million.
	A seven week package of work was undertaken, which included both repairs and planned maintenance. While the work package was completed, HMS Vanguard remained available at the required notice to support the operational programme. I am withholding information about any damage sustained by HMS Vanguard on the grounds of national security.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel who have served in the Iraq war are from  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Bill Rammell: This information is not held in the format requested. However, it is estimated that over 120,000 service personnel and civilians have served in Iraq over the last six years.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to the correspondence of 7 July 2009 from the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead sent on behalf of a constituent; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: I responded to the hon. Member's letter on 22 October. I apologise for the delay in responding.

Military Decorations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Queen's Golden Jubilee medals have been awarded; and at what cost to the public purse.

Kevan Jones: As at the 12 January 2009, 165,503 medals were awarded to serving members of the armed forces at a cost of £16.30 per medal, plus VAT but not including administrative costs.

Military Decorations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service veterans' medals for those who have served a minimum of  (a) one,  (b) four and  (c) five years have been issued in each of the last 10 years; and at what cost.

Kevan Jones: We do not record the award, issue, and cost of medals in this format. Medals are only issued for campaigns and war. Any multiple tours to these theatres are recognised by the award of the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal.

Military Exercises: Safety

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 24 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2178W, on military exercises: nuclear weapons, on what dates the next joint US-UK nuclear weapon accident exercise will be held; and where it will be held.

Bob Ainsworth: The next joint US-UK nuclear weapon accident exercise will be held on 12-13 May 2010. This will comprise of a Field Training exercise on 12 May 2009 at Sculthorpe Training Ground followed by a Table Top exercise on 13 May 2009 at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.

Nuclear Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on a future fourth submarine for the next generation of the nuclear deterrent.

Bob Ainsworth: The 2006 White Paper (Cm 6994) said that if it is technically possible to deliver Continuous At Sea Deterrence, the policy of having one nuclear-armed submarine on patrol at all times, with three submarines then we would do so. The Prime Minister has asked for a report on this by the end of the year. The UK remains committed to Continuous At Sea Deterrence which is the backbone of our deterrence posture, ensuring a credible and capable deterrent against blackmail and acts of aggression against the UK's vital interests including her NATO allies by nuclear-armed opponents. Continuous At Sea Deterrence is the UK's most enduring current operation and has been successfully delivered for over 40 years by our dedicated service personnel.

Nuclear Weapons: Safety

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) names,  (b) dates and  (c) locations are of the nuclear weapons emergency exercises being organised by his Department in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010.

Bob Ainsworth: The names, dates and locations of the nuclear weapon emergency exercises in 2009 and 2010 are:
	
		
			  Exercise  Date  Location 
			 Sitex (B) 09 22 October 2009 AWE Burghfield. 
			 Bowline 09 25 November 2009 Royal Naval Armament Depot Coulport. 
			 Astral Bend 10 12 and 13 May 2010 Sculthorpe Training Ground, Norfolk and RAF Mildenhall. 
			 Bronze Endeavour 10 9 to 11 March 2010 Buckley Barracks, Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire.

RAF Welford

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to transfer activities from RAF Fairford to RAF Welford.

Bill Rammell: There are no plans to transfer activities from RAF Fairford to RAF Welford.

Somalia: Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy  (a) vessels and  (b) personnel are deployed around the coast of Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Royal Navy has two frigates and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker deployed to the region. As part of their deployment they spend time off the coast of Somalia contributing to international counter piracy operations. Some 580 Royal Naval Service personnel are currently aboard these vessels.

Spain: Warships

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships have docked at Spanish ports in each of the last three years.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Royal Navy Ships 
			   Number 
			 2007 16 
			 2008 24 
			 2009 (1)21 
			 (1) To date 
		
	
	These figures represent all dockings by Royal Navy ships and may therefore include multiple dockings by the same ship in the same year.

Territorial Army: Scotland

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army (TA) units there are in Scotland; how many members are in each such unit; how many members of TA units based in Scotland  (a) have been deployed to (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq in each of the last five years and  (b) have received military medals.

Bill Rammell: There are 15 Territorial Army (TA) units in Scotland and the number of members in each of those units as at 29 October 2009 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  TA Unit  Number of members 
			 105 Regiment The Royal Artillery 285 
			 71 Engineer Regiment 197 
			 6 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 266 
			 7 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 384 
			 Scottish Transport Regiment 259 
			 225 General Service Medical Regiment 365 
			 Headquarters 51 Brigade 74 
			 32 Signal Regiment 239 
			 Regional Headquarters and 243 Provost Company (5 Royal Military Police) 49 
			 2 (Independent) Signal Squadron 98 
			 205 Field Hospital (Volunteers) 149 
			 153 Workshop Company The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (102 Battalion The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) 53 
			 52 Military Intelligence Company (5 Military Intelligence Battalion) 50 
			 15 Company (4 Battalion The Parachute Regiment) 79 
			 Queens Own Yeomanry 137 
		
	
	The number of TA members from Scottish-based TA units deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in each of the last five years is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Deployed to Iraq 
			  Number 
			  TA Unit  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 105 Regiment The Royal Artillery 42 5 5 0 0 
			 71 Engineer Regiment 0 1 0 1 1 
			 6 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 13 4 0 0 0 
			 7 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 25 104 4 4 32 
			 Scottish Transport Regiment 0 2 4 0 1 
			 225 General Service Medical Regiment 0 2 0 2 0 
			 Headquarters 51 Brigade 0 0 0 0 0 
			 32 Signal Regiment 5 5 5 5 5 
			 Regional Headquarters and 243 Provost Company (5 Royal Military Police) 9 9 9 9 9 
			 2 (Independent) Signal Squadron 2 2 2 2 2 
			 205 Field Hospital (Volunteers) 75 0 0 0 0 
			 153 Workshop Company The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (102 Battalion The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) 1 1 1 1 1 
			 52 Military Intelligence Company (5 Military Intelligence Battalion) 7 3 1 1 0 
			 15 Company (4 Battalion The Parachute Regiment) 25 1 0 1 0 
			 Queens Own Yeomanry 1 2 0 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Deployed to Afghanistan 
			  Number 
			  TA Unit  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 105 Regiment Royal Artillery 0 0 11 12 0 
			 71 Engineer Regiment 0 1 0 1 20 
			 6 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 0 2 37 1 3 
			 7 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 1 2 0 11 0 
			 Scottish Transport Regiment 0 0 4 0 1 
			 225 General Service Medical Regiment 0 0 1 1 20 
			 Headquarters 51 Brigade 0 0 0 0 0 
			 32 Signal Regiment 5 5 5 5 5 
			 Regional Headquarters and 243 Provost Company (5 Royal Military Police) 9 9 9 9 9 
			 2 (Independent) Signal Squadron 2 2 2 2 2 
			 205 Field Hospital (Volunteers) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 153 Workshop Company The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (102 Battalion The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) 1 1 1 1 1 
			 52 Military Intelligence Company (5 Military Intelligence Battalion) 0 1 2 3 5 
			 15 Company (4 Battalion The Parachute Regiment) 0 6 4 16 0 
			 Queens Own Yeomanry 0 0 1 12 7 
		
	
	The Medals Office does not record whether an individual comes from a regular or TA unit when issuing military campaign medals. There is a medal which is specifically issued to TA personnel, the 'Volunteer Reserve Service Medal' which is the equivalent of the 'Long Service and Good Conduct Medal' issued to regular soldiers. However, the work required to cross-reference individual names against units would incur a disproportionate cost.

University Officer Training Corps

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on officer recruitment of changes to funding for the Officer Training Corps.

Bill Rammell: It is too soon to assess what effect, if any, changes to funding for the University Officer Training Corps may have on Army officer recruitment.
	We hope that cadets will continue to make use of the outstanding leadership development opportunities which are available.

Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) destroyers and  (b) frigates are available to the fleet at (i) short and (ii) medium notice.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the letter sent to him on 6 March 2007. Information on the readiness levels of Royal Navy ships is being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Elections

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many polling stations there will be in Afghanistan in the presidential run-off election on 7 November 2009; how many there were in the first round elections; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that voting is free and fair.

Ivan Lewis: Around 6,300 polling centres opened on election day on 20 August 2009. Polling centres had on average four polling stations within them-for example a school used as a polling centre might have had four separate classrooms within it, with each classroom designated as a polling station.
	The number of polling centres to be used in the second round is currently being reviewed by the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Afghan Ministries responsible for providing election security, taking into account the advice of the Election Complaints Commission (ECC). Any changes to the number of polling stations will take into account the need to provide suitable access to voters, ensure security and mitigate fraud, as well as IEC staffing levels.
	We have given £16.5 million to the UN Development Programme, which is responsible for building the capacity of the IEC to enable it to conduct credible elections. We are continuing to work with the UN, the IEC and the Afghan National Security Forces to ensure the second round of the Afghan elections can take place in a credible and secure fashion where fraud is kept to a minimum. Throughout the election process, we have encouraged candidates to adhere to Afghanistan's Electoral Law and follow the process through, respecting the decisions of the IEC and ECC.
	Following the first round of voting, the IEC and ECC successfully investigated and excluded thousands of fraudulent ballots. The final round of voting will again be held in challenging circumstances and will be rough and ready in places. Should fraud reoccur, despite international and Afghan efforts to mitigate this, these independent bodies will again work to ensure the result is a true reflection of the will of the Afghan people.

Australia: Foreign Relations

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet his Australian counterpart to discuss UK-Australian relations and global issues.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is expecting to meet his Australian counterpart during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Trinidad and Tobago on 27-29 November 2009.

British Council: Finance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the monetary cost to the British Council has been of teachers visiting overseas countries in each of the last three years; and how many teachers received funding from the British Council for visits  (a) in Europe and  (b) outside Europe in each year.

Chris Bryant: The information requested is not held centrally by the British Council and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 1516-7W, on the United Nations Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, by what means the fundamental principle on confidentiality of information will be implemented; and what criteria will be used to determine whether certain categories of nuclear material are subject to the provisions of the physical protection regime in the amendment to the Convention published as Cm 7685 in July 2009.

David Kidney: I have been asked to reply.
	The Fundamental Principle on Confidentiality is already implemented in the UK through the provisions on protecting sensitive nuclear information contained in the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003.
	The criteria for determining whether information is releasable (and hence not requiring to be protected as sensitive nuclear information) are set out in the Finding a Balance document published on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website. The objective of this document is to prevent the disclosure of sensitive nuclear information that could assist a person or group planning theft, blackmail, sabotage and other malevolent or illegal acts.

Departmental Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how many properties his Department owns overseas; and what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value of his Department's overseas estate;
	(2)  which 20 properties his Department owns overseas have the highest valuations; and what the valuation of each such property is.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) owns 2,119 properties overseas on a freehold or ground leasehold basis. The top 20 overseas properties by market value are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Market value of top 20 FCO Overseas Properties as at 31 March 2009 
			  Property name  Market value rate (£ million) 
			 Bangkok compound(1) 103.8 
			 Hong Kong compound(2) 78.1 
			 Paris embassy 76.2 
			 Mumbai Deputy high commission 69.0 
			 Tehran Ferdowsi compound 65.5 
			 Kuwait City compound(3) 60.0 
			 Paris residence 53.9 
			 Rome residence compound(4) 52.5 
			 Buenos Aires compound(5) 51.7 
			 Cairo compound(6) 51.5 
			 Seoul compound 37.0 
			 Washington compound 35.5 
			 Tehran Gulhak compound 33.7 
			 Bahrain Manama compound 29.5 
			 Rome embassy compound(7) 29.0 
			 Geneva residence 24.4 
			 Copenhagen embassy compound 22.7 
			 New Delhi compound 21.5 
			 Athens residence 21.4 
			 Athens office 18.6 
			  Notes:(1 )Includes value of the Bangkok residence on the compound at £18.8 million.  (2) Includes value of the Hong Kong Consulate-General building on compound at £31.2 million.  (3) Includes value of the Kuwait City management building on the compound at £26 million.  (4) Includes value of the Rome residence on compound at £41.8 million.  (5) Includes value of the Buenos Aires residence on compound at£44 million.  (6) Includes value of the Cairo residence on the compound at £21.3 million.  (7) Includes value of the Rome embassy on the compound at £23.2 million. 
		
	
	These are the current market values expressed in sterling, which are subject to exchange rate fluctuations. The aggregate book value of all FCO properties is reassessed annually, and can be found in Volume 2, table 12: Tangible Fixed Assets on page 131 of the FCO's most recent published resource accounts, a copy of which is available on the FCO website:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/publications-and-documents/publicationsl/annual-reports/departmental-report/
	The book values of individual properties is also shown in the National Asset Register which can be accessed at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.ukypsr_investment_nar_2007_ index.htm

Egypt: Elections

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on the measures the Egyptian Government will take to ensure that the 2011 elections in that country are free, fair and transparent.

Chris Bryant: Our ambassador in Cairo raised the 2011 elections with the Director of the National Council for Human Rights in October. The elections were also raised with the Egyptian Government in the Political Subcommittee of the EU Association Agreement framework in July.
	Our embassy also coordinates a donor group in Cairo, ensuring funding for the holding of free, fair and transparent elections is strategically spent to maximise its effect.

Guinea: Arms Trade

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department takes to ensure that military equipment manufactured in the UK and exported to Guinea is used in compliance with the terms of the arms export licences issued by his Department.

Ivan Lewis: All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the National and EU Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account the circumstances prevailing at the time. Licences will not be issued where there is a clear risk that the goods might be used for internal repression or if we assess that goods might be diverted from their stated end use.
	The UK has not licensed any exports of military equipment to the Government of Guinea since 2000. Following the arms embargo imposed on Guinea by the EU on 27 October 2009, we will not licence any equipment that would be deemed incompatible with our international commitments under the embargo. We are constantly monitoring the situation in Guinea and will continue to take into account any changes in circumstances during our assessment of future applications.

Guinea: Human Rights

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department takes to monitor the human rights situation in Guinea.

Ivan Lewis: The UK strongly condemns the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators during the opposition rally of 28 September 2009 in Conakry, which resulted in gross violations of human rights, including deaths, injuries and rapes.
	Our ambassador in Guinea is an active member of the International Contact Group on Guinea (ICG-G) and maintains a constant dialogue with EU and G8 partners on the ground to ensure the UK fully monitors the human rights situation in Guinea. Our ambassadors in the West African region are also in contact with President Chambas of the Economic Community of Western African States and the governments of Guinea's neighbours.
	The UK strongly supports the decision by the UN Secretary General to establish an International Commission of Inquiry into the events of 28 September 2009 and we will work closely with EU partners to take account of the initial recommendations by UN Assistant Secretary General, Haile Menkerios, following his recent visit to Guinea.

Guinea: Politics and Government

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage the development of democratic government in Guinea.

Ivan Lewis: The UK is actively engaged with EU counterparts in Brussels and New York and through ambassadors in the region to press for a swift transition to democratic rule in Guinea.
	Our ambassador in Guinea is a member of the International Contact Group on Guinea (ICG-G) and has maintained a constant dialogue with EU partners on the ground. We fully support efforts by the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, working with appointed mediator, President Campoare of Burkina Faso, to re-establish dialogue with Guinean political parties and restore constitutional order and the rule of law.

Iran

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps at the United Nations he  (a) has taken since July 2009 and  (b) plans to take in the next six months on allegations of (i) arming and (ii) funding by Iran of Hamas; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We take Iran's support, in the form of funding arms and training, to armed militants including Hamas very seriously.
	We continue to work with international partners to urge Iran to play a more constructive role in the middle east region. We will continue to press for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions which prohibit Iran from supplying or selling arms or related material.

Iran

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department plan to have with governments of Arab states on the statements about Israel made by the President of Iran at the United Nations General Assembly; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have regular and ongoing dialogue at an official and political level with Arab states on wide range of regional issues including Iran.
	The Government have consistently condemned the Iranian President's inflammatory comments about the State of Israel and his offensive statements about the Holocaust. Such rhetoric is a recipe for instability and only serves to undermine international confidence in Iran's willingness to act as a respectable member of the international community. We will continue to speak out in response to such deplorable and ignorant comments.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the progress Iran has made toward the acquisition of a nuclear weapon; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We remain extremely concerned about Iran's nuclear programme.
	In August 2009 the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) Director General reported that Iran had not suspended its enrichment activities contrary to the requirements of five UN Security Council Resolutions and still refuses to answer questions about studies with a possible military dimension. Meanwhile Iran continues to produce low enriched uranium (it now has over 1,500 kg stockpiled according to the IAEA) which could be used to produce high enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon.
	The fact that Iran has been covertly developing an enrichment facility near Qom, in breach of UN and IAEA obligations, casts further doubt on its peaceful intentions.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to raise the issue of the Iranian nuclear programme in the UN Security Council; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: When Ministers from the E3+3 met in New York on 23 September 2009, they made clear that we were all still committed to the dual-track policy, which includes further action at the UN Security Council if necessary. They also agreed that decisions on our next steps would be taken in the light of meetings with Iran. On 1 October 2009 in Geneva, Iran agreed to a further meeting before the end of the month to focus on its nuclear programme. Iran has not yet agreed to a date for this.

Iraq: Iran

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1961W, on Iraq: human rights, whether British embassy officials in Baghdad have now undertaken a further visit to Camp Ashraf; what assessment he has made of levels of human rights violations at the camp; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: We have received reports that Camp Ashraf is calm and that there have been no incidents of further violence since July's events. Officials from our embassy in Baghdad visited Camp Ashraf on 26 September 2009. They confirmed that the Iraqi police and security forces are still maintaining a presence in the camp and are co-operating peacefully with the residents. The 36 residents detained on 28 July 2009 have been returned to the camp.
	Our embassy in Baghdad has received a reply from the Iraqi Minister of Human Rights to the ambassador's letter asking for an official review of July's events. The Minister confirmed that a Government committee has been set up to look into the events of 28 July 2009 and that officials from the Ministry visited the camp as well as the 36 detainees. The Minister also confirmed that the Government of Iraq would continue to deal with the residents of the camp with respect for their human rights and according to the International Declaration on Human Rights in co-operation with UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Red Cross and the Office of Human Rights of the UN.
	As the right hon. Member may know, my hon. Friend Ivan Lewis met colleagues on the Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom on 15 October. If he is able to visit Iraq in the near future, he will raise the issues that were discussed on Camp Ashraf with the Iraqi Government at the highest levels.

Israel

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on  (a) an academic boycott and,  (b) a general boycott of Israel.

Ivan Lewis: I discuss the situation in the Middle East with a wide range of stakeholders including trade unions and non-governmental organisations. As I have made clear to them and publicly, the Government are opposed to boycotts of Israel. This, among other issues, was also discussed in my meeting, on 27 October 2009, with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon. We both agreed on the need to make progress towards a two-state solution and the detrimental impact that boycotts of Israel would have both on that goal and bilateral ties.

Libya: Arms Trade

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the export of arms to Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 29 October 2009
	All arms exports to Libya are assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
	We take into account fully the prevailing circumstances in Libya, particularly in respect of the human rights situation in that country, in making these assessments.

Middle East

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the policy of the Israeli government on the  (a) volume and  (b) type of goods entering Gaza from (i) Israel and (ii) Egypt; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Some basic humanitarian assistance has been entering Gaza through the crossings from Israel, but the overall flow of goods into Gaza remains severely limited. Israel has not provided clarity on what types or volumes of goods it will and will not permit to enter Gaza. The flow of goods and materials falls far short of addressing basic human needs of Gaza's estimated 1.5 million people and prevents all but token efforts towards reconstruction. On average, the government of Israel allows the transfer of just 60 per cent. of the industrial fuel required per week to operate Gaza's only power plant at the current maximum capacity of 80 megawatts. The number of trucks carrying humanitarian and commercial goods is routinely restricted to approximately a third of the weekly average before restrictions were tightened. The import of building materials and agricultural inputs is heavily curtailed.
	The Rafah crossing from Egypt is primarily a pedestrian crossing and is often closed. Restrictions imposed by the government of Israel also affect goods passing formally from Egypt, which are channelled via Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
	Large quantities of a wide variety of items continue to enter Gaza from Egypt via tunnels. Given the illicit nature of the trade, it is hard to quantify the trade. Reports from Gaza suggest that a wide variety of goods which cannot be imported any other way are entering through the tunnels, and are then available on the open market. Arms are undoubtedly part of this trade. According to a recent UN report, approximately 100,000 litres of diesel and 100,000 litres of petrol are transferred into Gaza via the tunnels each day.
	We will continue to urge action to press the Israeli authorities to ease border restrictions into Gaza and allow the passage of essential humanitarian aid and reconstruction material. The Prime Minister stressed this point most recently in his joint letter, on 16 October 2009, with President Sarkozy to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the UK did not participate in the recent vote on the report of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict at the meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have made it absolutely clear that while aspects of the Goldstone report were flawed it raised very serious issues that we want to see addressed. We also made it clear that the resolution did not adequately address Hamas' actions and Israel's right to protect its citizens.
	We did not vote because we were in the middle of detailed discussions about three key issues: the establishment of an independent inquiry, access for humanitarian aid to Gaza and how to restart the peace process. We were pursuing these at the highest level, between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, French President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. The vote was called in the middle of those discussions and we did not wish to compromise the detailed work on those fundamental issues.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on  (a) violent incidents in Jerusalem and  (b) the numbers of people injured in such incidents.

Ivan Lewis: We are extremely concerned by recent disturbances in Jerusalem. We are unable to confirm the numbers of people injured, but our consulate general in Jerusalem is monitoring the situation on the ground extremely closely.
	We call on all parties to show restraint, and refrain from provocative actions in order to prevent the situation escalating. The EU presidency made this clear to both Israeli and Palestinian authorities on 26 October 2009.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on investigations by the Israeli government in relation to the recent conflict with Palestine.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had numerous conversations with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as well as with key Arab, European and US partners about the need for proper investigations of abuses alleged to have been committed by both sides during the Gaza conflict. I raised the need for such investigations with my Israeli counterpart on 27 October 2009. Our officials in Tel Aviv, Geneva, New York and elsewhere have also discussed the issue with their counterparts.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps at the United Nations he  (a) has taken since July 2009 and  (b) plans to take in the next six months to seek to prevent (i) weapons and (ii) funds from the government of Iran being sent to terrorist groups in (A) Afghanistan, (B) Iraq, (C) Gaza and (d) Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government fully support UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1747, paragraph five of which calls upon Iran not to supply, sell or transfer directly or indirectly from its territory any arms or related materiel, as well as other relevant UNSCRs including 1701 and 1860.
	Following a number of interdicted shipments, we assess that Iran continues to act in breach of that Resolution by its ongoing supplying of weapons and funding to militia in Iraq, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Hamas and Hezbollah. This is unacceptable and further undermines international confidence in Iran.
	We will continue to work through the UN and with international partners to urge Iran to comply with its UN obligations.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has  (a) taken during the last six months and  (b) plans to take during the next six months to tackle the shipment of weapons and funds from Iran to (i) Afghanistan, (ii) Iraq, (iii) Lebanon and (iv) Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We take Iran's support for militia in Iraq, the Taleban in Afghanistan, Hamas and Hezbollah seriously and will continue to work with international partners to urge Iran to play a more constructive role in the middle east region. We will continue to support the full implementation of existing UN Security Council Resolutions which prohibit Iran from supplying or selling arms or related materiel.
	Iranian support to illegitimate armed groups in Iraq (including supply of weapons, training or funding) is unacceptable.
	We have successfully interdicted some Iranian weapon shipments in Afghanistan which has led to temporary reductions in activity. We will continue to work with the Afghan Government to confront this.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the level of smuggling of  (a) arms and  (b) other material into Gaza from (i) Egypt and (ii) other countries; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The level of smuggling of other material into Gaza is significant, but difficult to assess. Reports from Gaza suggest that a wide variety of goods which cannot be imported any other way are entering through the tunnels, and are then available on the open market. Arms are undoubtedly part of this trade. According to a recent UN report approximately 100,000 litres of diesel and 100,000 litres of petrol are transferred into Gaza via the tunnels each day.
	We will continue to urge action to prevent arms smuggling and press the Israeli authorities to ease border restrictions into Gaza and allow the passage of essential humanitarian aid and reconstruction material. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stressed this point most recently in his joint letter, on 16 October 2009, with President Sarkozy to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the effectiveness of the security barrier between Israel and the West Bank in preventing terrorist activity in Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Israel is entitled to build a security barrier to protect its citizens from acts of violence. But the barrier should be confined to Israeli territory and not encroach on occupied territory. In some places, the barrier breaks up Palestinian territory, cuts Palestinian farmers off from their land and divides Palestinian communities, separating people from their families. We have particular concerns about the route of the barrier near East Jerusalem.
	In recent years, there has been a drop in the number of terrorist attacks in Israel. The political context is clearly an important factor. The barrier, which remains far from complete, may have played a role. There has also been a notable improvement in security provided by the Palestinian Authority Security Forces in the West Bank in line with Palestinian commitments under the Roadmap.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to seek to secure the release of missing Israeli servicemen reported to be held by  (a) Hezbollah,  (b) Hamas and  (c) Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: In August 2009, I met Gilad Shalit's father during my visit to Israel and I reaffirmed, both privately and publicly, our call for Hamas to release Gilad Shalit immediately and without conditions.

Middle East: Economic Situation

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of progress in economic development in  (a) the West Bank and  (b) Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The economic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories remains difficult. According to the World Bank, gross domestic product is estimated to have declined by 34 per cent. in real per capita terms over the last decade.
	More recently, increased international aid in 2008 and 2009 has allowed Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad to stabilise the public finances and pay salaries in both the West Bank and Gaza. The economy of the West Bank has also benefited from the improved security provided by the Palestinian security forces and from the removal of some obstacles to movement around the West Bank by the Israeli Government.
	The International Monetary Fund recently estimated that growth in the West Bank could reach 7 per cent. for 2009. But unemployment remains close to double the level of a decade ago and much more needs to be done to return the economy to sustainable growth.
	In Gaza, the situation remains extremely serious. Israeli restrictions mean the productive sector of the economy has come to an almost complete standstill. Some 95 per cent. of the manufacturing sector has shut operations and exports have effectively ceased. The economy now depends on Palestinian Authority and UN salaries together with illicit earnings from smuggling as the main sources of income. Official unemployment stands at 42 per cent. but the actual figure is likely to be in excess of 50 per cent. and there are worrying levels of aid dependence.
	We are working to support economic growth. We also call on the Israeli Government to go further in removing movement restrictions, to release telecoms frequencies for a second Palestinian mobile operator, to resume normal banking relations with Palestinian banks and to remove other barriers to economic growth.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the report of the UN fact finding mission of the Gaza conflict; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: As our ambassador made clear to the Human Rights Council, the UN fact finding mission on Gaza has its flaws:
	not adequately recognising Israel's right to protect its citizens or paying sufficient attention to Hamas's actions;
	making broad assertions about detailed interpretation of international law with which we differ; and
	(because Israel did not cooperate) lacking an authoritative Israeli perspective so crucial to determining the legality of actions.
	However, the report raises very important issues that are of serious concern and that we want to see addressed. Rocket attacks by Palestinian militants targeted at innocent civilians in southern Israel constitute a breach of international humanitarian law. The report also makes serious allegations about Israeli conduct and we urge the Israeli Government to carry out full, credible and impartial investigations into the concerns raised by the report.
	The full text of our intervention can be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/press-statement/11644804/21015315/goldstone-161009.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration on the Middle East peace process; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The US Administration, from the President down, have made clear their commitment to restarting negotiations and continue to work towards that goal. We are offering them our full support, as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 11 October 2009 and Senator George Mitchell on 28 October 2009. While significant obstacles undoubtedly remain, the alternatives to credible negotiations towards a two-state solution are far worse.

Police Dependants' Trust

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the purposes for which the payment for £250,000 given to his Department on behalf of Colonel Gadaffi by the hon. Member for Southend East in March 1993 and intended for the Police Dependants' Trust was used.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold information relating to a payment of £250,000 made by the Libyan Government in 1993. The FCO is aware, however, that upon resumption of diplomatic relations in 1999 the Libyan Government admitted general responsibility for the murder of WPC Fletcher and agreed to pay compensation to the Fletcher family.

Somalia: Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many incidents of piracy involving  (a) UK-owned vessels and  (b) UK citizens have occurred in the waters off the coast of Somalia since January 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: As of 29 October 2009 there has only been one incident with UK citizens onboard this year, which involved the UK-owned yacht Lynn Rival with two UK citizens onboard.
	In May 2009 there was an attempted attack on the UK-owned merchant vessel Hibiya Park but the attack was disrupted.

Somalia: Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance his Department has provided for international efforts to tackle piracy in the waters off the coast of Somalia since 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: As part of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has led and funded two needs assessments missions alongside the EU, UN and US to the countries surrounding Somalia in order to assess the priorities for development in the legal, judicial, penal and maritime sectors. They have visited Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Yemen, Tanzania and the Seychelles. The FCO has also funded the participation of key partners, such as Somali representatives, at meetings of Working Group 1 of the CGPCS. It has also funded UK attendance at national and international meetings discussing efforts to counter piracy.
	The UK is contributing to three international counter-piracy operations: providing the operation headquarters and operation commander to the EU Naval Force (Operation Atalanta); a frigate, tanker, and deputy commander to the Combined Maritime Forces; and a frigate and the current command of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 conducting Operation Ocean Shield. The FCO contributes to the UK's tri-departmental assessed contributions of £1.2 million towards the cost of Operation Atalanta. The UK also provides the UK Maritime Trade Organisation, coordinating the movement of merchant shipping and acting as a first point of contact for any ships attacked in the region.

Somalia: Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of international efforts to tackle piracy in the waters around the coast of Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Although this year has seen an increase in the number of attempted pirate attacks (156 attacks from January-September 2009, compared to 111 attacks from January-September 2008), the number of successful attacks has reduced significantly, especially in the critical Gulf of Aden transit artery. According to International Maritime Bureau statistics the actual rate of successful hijacking against attacks has reduced from one in three in December 2008 to one in 11 in June 2009.
	Up to 30 September 2009 the EU Naval Force had successfully escorted 44 World Food Programme (WFP) vessels, providing 220,880 tons of aid to Somalia, which the WFP would otherwise not have been able to send.
	Furthermore international efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia have achieved unprecedented levels of naval coordination with international partners including India and China coordinating their efforts with EU, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and coalition forces through a Shared Awareness and Deconfliction forum. The Contact Group of Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) represents 53 nations. The CGPCS also established the New York Declaration (to which the UK is a signatory) that strengthens best management practices in dealing with piracy as well as supporting regional capabilities to tackle piracy.
	The international community in conjunction with the International Maritime Organisation have also established a code of best practice for industry while travelling off the coast of Somalia. Between December 2008 and October 2009 there has only been one successful attack on a ship complying with best management practices while transiting the Gulf of Aden. Agreements have been initiated with Kenya and the Seychelles to allow pirates apprehended in the region to be prosecuted there.
	Collectively, these measures are improving the effectiveness of the international community's efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia, but in the long term the solution has to be found on land. To this end Working Group 1 (chaired by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) led a regional needs assessment to the Horn of Africa in September 2009, which provided a clear map on how regional states can be assisted in addressing piracy on land as well as at sea.

Somalia: Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times Working Group 1 of the Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia has met since its formation; and what topics were discussed at such meetings.

Ivan Lewis: Working Group 1 of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia has met five times since its formation. It is chaired by the UK and has met formally four times and once informally. The meetings discuss, among other issues, how international warships can better coordinate their operations, how to improve regional capacity to prosecute suspect pirates, and how the shipping industry can better protect itself from attack.

Somalia: Piracy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department has issued on travelling in waters around the coast of Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides specific recommendations both to commercial vessels and to members of the public while travelling near Somali waters. This information is available on the FCO website.
	In terms of commercial advice, specific guidance is given in relation to the practical steps in avoiding pirates which have been shown to significantly reduce the chances of a successful pirate attack. The advice also links to guidance from Department of Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. It advises ships to register with the EU's Maritime Security-Horn of Africa website and transit through the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor in addition to adhering to the latest Maritime Advisories in force throughout the piracy threat region.
	The Government endorse the advice prepared by the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia which provides specific advice on how to prevent, deter and delay acts of piracy off the Horn of Africa. The Maritime Security Centre-Horn of Africa website contains general advice to shipping companies, and the UK Maritime Trade Organisation advises mariners on planning their passage through the Gulf of Aden.
	As Chair of Working Group 1 of the Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia (CGPCS), the FCO has been instrumental in securing greater dissemination and adherence to industry's best practice for vessels travelling in the waters in the vicinity off the coast of Somalia. The FCO also signed the New York Declaration which provided further guidance to industry in relation to best management practices to avoid and deter acts of piracy.
	In terms of specific advice to members of the public travelling in waters in the vicinity of the coast of Somalia, the FCO advises mariners to remain at least 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast when transiting between the equator and 08N latitude, and 100 nautical miles from Somalia's northern coastline in the Gulf of Aden. However, as pirates have been using mother ships to attack shipping further than 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast, the FCO also advises mariners to maintain a high level of vigilance and to exercise extreme caution when anywhere near Somali waters.
	This advice is provided within the FCO's travel advice relating to the Indian Ocean as well as more specifically the advice provided to individuals intending to travel to Seychelles, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. The River and Sea Safety section of travel advice also advises yachters travelling in their own yacht or boat to be aware of the risks of piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities the troika of the UK, US and Norway have undertaken in the Sudan over recent months.

Ivan Lewis: We have had extensive discussions on the political situation and prospects for Sudan with the US Special Envoy, Major General Scott Gration, since his appointment in March 2009. The US Envoy had several meetings in the early summer with my noble Friend, the then Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown and continues to meet regularly with the UK Special Representative for Sudan. They met most recently in Moscow on 6 October 2009 and in Abuja on 29 October 2009.
	Both US Envoy Gration, and the UK Special Representative have strongly expressed their support for African Union/UN Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé and the State of Qatar in their efforts to find a political solution for Darfur, and stand ready to offer all necessary assistance.
	The UK, US and Norway have in recent months re-established the Troika mechanism as part of the international effort on Sudan. Officials from the UK, US and Norway are currently in Sudan to discuss Comprehensive Peace Agreement implementation issues with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the National Congress Party.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US emissary to Sudan on the co-ordination of the Government's and US efforts to resolve the conflict in Darfur.

Ivan Lewis: We have had extensive discussions on the political situation and prospects for Sudan with the US Special Envoy, Major General Scott Gration, since his appointment in March 2009. The US Envoy had several meetings in the early summer with my noble Friend, the then Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown and continues to meet regularly with the UK Special Representative for Sudan. They met most recently in Moscow on 6 October 2009 and in Abuja on 29 October 2009.
	Both US Envoy Gration, and the UK Special Representative have strongly expressed their support for African Union/UN Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé and the State of Qatar in their efforts to finding a political solution for Darfur, and stand ready to offer all necessary assistance.
	The UK, US and Norway have in recent months re-established the Troika mechanism as part of the international effort on Sudan. Officials from the UK, US and Norway are currently in Sudan to discuss Comprehensive Peace Agreement implementation issues with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the National Congress Party.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Sudan on its response to clashes in the south of that country.

Ivan Lewis: We are very concerned by the continuing insecurity in South Sudan as a result of tribal violence and continuing activity by the Lord's Resistance Army.
	While attending the UN General Assembly in New York last month, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in South Sudan with Sudanese presidential adviser Ghazi. Our ambassador to Sudan visited Juba on 28-30 September 2009 and raised UK concerns about the security situation with the Government of South Sudan's Interior Minister and the Sudan People's Liberation Army chief of staff.
	These messages were reinforced when my hon. Friend the Minister of State for International Development (Mr. Thomas) visited Sudan on 14-15 October 2009. He discussed our concerns at the security situation with Government of South Sudan interlocutors in Juba.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Major-General Scott Gration, the US emissary to Sudan, on the political situation in that country.

Ivan Lewis: We have had extensive discussions on the political situation and prospects for Sudan with the US Special Envoy, Major-General Scott Gration, since his appointment in March 2009. The US Envoy had several meetings in the early summer with my noble Friend, the then Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown and continues to meet regularly with the UK special representative for Sudan. They met most recently in Moscow on 6 October 2009 and in Abuja on 29 October 2009.
	Both US Envoy Gration, and the UK special representative have strongly expressed their support for African Union/UN Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé and the State of Qatar in their efforts to finding a political solution for Darfur, and stand ready to offer all necessary assistance.
	The UK, US and Norway have in recent months re-established the Troika mechanism as part of the international effort on Sudan. Officials from the UK, US and Norway are currently in Sudan to discuss Comprehensive Peace Agreement implementation issues with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the National Congress Party.

Sudan: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to  (a) the government of Sudan and  (b) others on the new agreement on the forthcoming referendum on the future status of Sudan; and what the Government's policy is on the new eligibility criteria for a vote on secession in Sudan.

Ivan Lewis: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for International Development (Mr. Thomas) visited Khartoum and Juba on 14-15 October 2009 and met with senior members of the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), including presidential adviser Ghazi, and Southern Minister of Internal Affairs Geir Chuang. He pressed them to take urgent steps to resolve the impasse over the census and referendum.
	Our ambassador and other senior Government officials, and the chair of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission, Sir Derek Plumbly, regularly raise these issues with NCP and SPLM interlocutors. Officials from the UK, US and Norway are currently in Sudan to discuss Comprehensive Peace Agreement implementation issues with the SPLM and NCP.
	We are committed to a free and fair referendum in 2011. The eligibility criteria and content of the Referendum Bill are for the parties to reach agreement over, and we urge both parties to do so urgently.

UN Security Council

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1627, on the UN Security Council, if he will  (a) publish the web location of the statement released after the September 2009 meeting of the five permanent members of the Security Council,  (b) post on his Department's website the presentations on enhancing strategic stability referred to in the Answer and  (c) publish a list of those who attended the meeting and their official positions.

Ivan Lewis: The P5 (Russia, China, the US, the UK and France) agreed that the conference held on 3 to 4 September 2009 to consider the confidence building, verification and compliance challenges associated with achieving further progress on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation would be held behind closed doors to facilitate full and frank discussion.
	The joint statement issued at the conclusion of the conference can be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=Newsid =20804873

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of arrangements for licensing animal dealers, with particular reference to the effect of such arrangements on the welfare of puppies imported from the Republic of Ireland.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have made no assessment as England does not have any such licensing arrangement.

Animal Welfare Act 2006

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to bring forward secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to make provision for pet vending.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Although DEFRA intends to review the law on the selling of pet animals, such a review will not take place during this business year. The timing of a review will largely depend on balancing priorities.

Animals: Quarantine

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department next plans to review the list of non-EU countries and territories from which mammals may enter the UK under the PETS Scheme without going into quarantine.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 29 October 2009
	The PETS travel scheme and quarantine requirements are in place to protect the UK from serious diseases, such as rabies.
	The list of countries from which animals may enter the UK under the PETS scheme without going into quarantine is set out in European legislation (see Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 as amended). In order to be included in that list, countries need to demonstrate to the European Commission that they meet certain criteria set out in the regulation. Inclusion is then subject to agreement by EU member states.

Biofuels

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take  (a) to set specifications for biomass boilers and  (b) to ensure the maintenance of air quality standards in respect of biomass boiler emissions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Operators of appliances with a rated thermal input of 20 megawatts or more in which biomass is combusted need a permit under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 which will contain emission limit values set by the relevant environmental regulator. If the biomass is waste, permits are required if the rated thermal input of the appliance exceeds 0.4 megawatts.
	The use of biomass for heat and power can pose a significant air quality problem. Large scale heat or combined heat and power schemes should not normally be used in heavily built-up areas (subject to an Environmental report) unless they are of high quality (20g/GJ PM10 or less) or have efficient abatement equipment specified. There are, however, technology options coming on stream which could substantially reduce emissions, even in urban areas (ceramic filters, for example). It would be easy to infer that biomass should not be encouraged in air quality management areas, which obviously already have a significant problem with air pollution. Seeking non-combustion alternatives-ground or air source heat pumps, solar thermal, better building design should be the first option; the second is to attempt to group users together-this allows the use of a smaller number of larger plants, and larger plants are easier to control.

Biofuels: Air Pollution

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of levels of emissions of  (a) fine PM2.5 particulates and  (b) PM10 particulates from biomass boilers once the biomass targets in the Renewable Energy Strategy are met.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government, in support of the development of the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES), carried out modelling of the effect of an increase in the use of biomass for heat and power on emissions of fine particles (PM2.5) and coarser particles (PM10) under a range of scenarios. Polices in the Renewable Energy Strategy will lead to emissions being at the lower end of the ranges quoted.
	We estimate that, by 2020, the uptake of biomass predicted by the RES will result in the emission of an additional 1.7 to 6.3 ktonnes of fine particles (PM2.5). The 2007 UK emissions of PM2.5 were estimated at 82 ktonnes.
	For the coarser particle size fraction, PM10, it is estimated that an additional 1.3 to 7.6 ktonnes may be emitted. Emissions of PM10 in the UK in 2007 were estimated at 135 ktonnes.
	The results of the air quality impact assessment using these emission estimates are given on page 121 of the RES. In the strategy the Government stated that they will work with industry to introduce performance standards for biomass units and will consult on the level of performance required for boilers under the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Biofuels: Air Pollution

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has undertaken into particulate emissions from biomass boilers and their effect upon climate change.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government, in support of the development of the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES), carried out modelling of the effect of an increase in the use of biomass for heat and power on emissions of fine particles (PM2.5) and coarser particles (PM10) under a range of scenarios. Polices in the Renewable Energy Strategy will lead to emissions being at the lower end of the ranges quoted.
	We estimate that by 2020 the uptake of biomass predicted by the RES will result in the emission of an additional 1.7 to 6.3 ktonnes of fine particles (PM2.5). The 2007 UK emissions of PM2.5 were estimated at 82 ktonnes.
	For the coarser particle size fraction, PM10, it is estimated that an additional 1.3 to 7.6 ktonnes may be emitted. Emissions of PM10 in the UK in 2007 were estimated at 135 ktonnes.
	The results of the air quality impact assessment using these emission estimates are given on page 121 of the RES. In the Strategy the Government stated that they will work with industry to introduce performance standards for biomass units and will consult on the level of performance required for boilers under the Renewable Heat Incentive.
	No assessment has been made of the impact on climate change of these emissions.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish the scientific evidence commissioned by his Department on the re-testing of cattle following an inconclusive test result for bovine tuberculosis.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In accordance with standard practice we will publish the full Impact Assessment, including cost benefit analysis, in support of this policy change. This will be available on the DEFRA website before the end of the year

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether restrictions have been placed on the use of the grant provided by the European Commission Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health for implementation of the Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Programme in respect of the operation of the programme in Wales.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Commission's Decision clearly sets out what the UK including Wales is able to apply for in terms of reimbursements for the costs of tuberculin testing, gamma interferon blood testing and compensation for cattle slaughtered. This is not a restriction; it is a rule of the funding programme that the UK Bovine TB Eradication Plan for 2010 is an application to.
	The Decision sets out the maximum of the costs that member states can claim for each:
	Tuberculin test: €1.75 per test
	Gamma-interferon test: €5 per test
	Compensation: €375 per animal.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the merits of testing for bovine tuberculosis annually in all parishes, as is done in Wales.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Bovine TB Eradication Group for England has recently reviewed the approach taken to setting routine TB testing frequencies to a risk based approach as announced in its report published on 8 October. Extending more frequent routine TB testing to more of the country would come at a high cost. As TB is a largely regional issue, concentrated in England in the south west and west midlands, with large areas in the north and east predominantly clear, this risk based approach is deemed a more proportionate and effective use of resources.

Carbon Emissions

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce emissions of black carbon in England and Wales.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Black carbon emissions are being tackled as part of a wider package of measures to reduce particulate matter (PM) emissions across the UK. Black carbon is emitted through combustion processes and is a constituent of PM, which is consistently associated with respiratory and cardio-vascular illness and mortality. Black carbon is also a global warming agent.
	Measures to reduce particulate matter emissions are included in the UK Government's time extension notification:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/air-quality/index.htm
	under the ambient air quality directive (2008/50/EC), which sets out how EU ambient air quality limits for PM will be met in the few remaining at-risk areas by 2011. This includes parts of London, and the Government have been working with the Mayor of London on a draft Air Quality Strategy:
	http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/air_quality/docs/AQS09.pdf
	which includes new measures to address particulate emissions, particularly from transport sources, across the capital.
	Emissions from diesel vehicles are one significant source of black carbon so the introduction of measures that encourage the early uptake of new vehicles compliant with the most stringent European vehicle emission standards is being pursued.

Circuses: Animal Welfare

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will introduce a ban on the use of all non-domesticated animals in circuses; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Wild animals used in travelling circuses are protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which prevents unnecessary cruelty or suffering to any vertebrate animal. The Act makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met. This includes the need: for a suitable environment (place to live); for a suitable diet; to exhibit normal behaviour patterns; to be housed with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable); and to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease.
	A Feasibility Study is currently under way looking at the possibility of regulating wild animal acts in travelling circuses. The Feasibility Study is nearing completion and I intend to review the findings carefully.

Dogs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the submission for competition of dogs with docked tails to dog shows which charge no entrance fee to spectators.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 prohibits the showing of a dog that has had its tail docked on or after 6 April 2007 at an event to which members of the public are admitted on payment of a fee (except where a certified docked dog is being shown only for the purpose of demonstrating its working ability). Any suggestions for amendments to the docking of dogs' tails provisions in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 will be considered when the Act is reviewed.

Dogs: Quarantine

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations his Department has received on proposals to exempt search and rescue dogs from quarantine when they enter the UK from search and rescue missions in parts of the world where mammals are required to be quarantined.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 29 October 2009
	The hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) raised the case of the rescue dog Darcy with the Secretary of State, and we have subsequently received a number of representations about this case.
	The Government recognise the excellent work carried out by search and rescue dogs in responding to overseas disasters, such as the recent earthquake in Indonesia, and their rapid and valuable response to such emergencies.
	We also appreciate the difficulty the current quarantine requirements cause for owners of these rescue dogs, particularly the rule requiring that dogs coming into the UK from certain countries, including Indonesia, are placed in quarantine on their arrival. This long-standing rule is in place to protect the UK from the incursion of serious diseases such as rabies.
	DEFRA officials are discussing the specific case of Darcy the search and rescue dog with representatives from the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. We are considering within the current requirements how to minimise the burden our quarantine our quarantine rules place on these animals, particularly on their training programme, but the requirements are important and need to be observed.

Dogs: Quarantine

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1157W, on dogs: quarantine, how he defined formal representation in that answer; whether he has received any representations on the search and rescue dog Darcy since the date of that answer; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that search and rescue dogs do not have to enter quarantine on return from missions abroad.

Jim Fitzpatrick: At the time the parliamentary answer of 16 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1157W, was drafted, the Secretary of State had not received any formal (i.e. written) representations on the search and rescue dog Darcy. The hon. Member for Colchester (Bob Russell) has raised the case with the Secretary of State, and we have subsequently received a number of parliamentary questions and letters, including one specific request from the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.
	DEFRA has discussed the case of Darcy the search and rescue dog with representatives from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Although the rabies quarantine legislation does not provide for an absolute exemption from quarantine to be granted in these circumstances, the Government are hopeful that we will be able to find a training regime which proves an acceptable compromise between the needs of these dogs, and the requirement that we protect the UK from devastating diseases like rabies.
	The Government will pursue this approach and has no plans to amend the law, although discussions with the European Commission and other EU member states are continuing about the overall future of the UK's pet movement rules.

Dogs: Quarantine

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many rescue dogs there are in quarantine following their deployment on missions overseas.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government do not collect this specific data.

Dogs: Quarantine

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many representations he has received requesting special dispensation to enable Darcy, the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service rescue dog, to be released from quarantine; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Six parliamentary questions have been asked by two Members of Parliament this month on the quarantining of rescue dogs. To date we have received eight letters from Members, two letters from people directly related to this case, and five specific representations from members of the public. DEFRA has also received 172 declarations of support for the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Free Darcy campaign.

Dogs: Quarantine

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will amend the policy of quarantine for animals entering the UK to exclude rescue dogs attached officially to recognised Urban Search and Rescue organisations; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government recognise the excellent work carried out by search and rescue dogs in responding to overseas disasters, such as the recent earthquake in Indonesia, and their rapid and valuable response to such emergencies.
	We also appreciate the difficulty the current quarantine requirements cause for owners of these rescue dogs, particularly the rule requiring that dogs coming into the UK from certain countries, including Indonesia, are placed in quarantine on their arrival. This long-standing rule is in place to protect the UK from the incursion of serious diseases such as rabies.
	DEFRA has discussed the case of Darcy the search and rescue dog with representatives from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Although the rabies quarantine legislation does not provide for an absolute exemption from quarantine to be granted in these circumstances, the Government are hopeful that we will be able to find a training regime which proves an acceptable compromise between the needs of these dogs, and the requirement that we protect the UK from devastating diseases like rabies. Darcy will also be able to travel from the UK to any other country to help with search and rescue if there were to be another emergency.

Floods

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost of remedying flood damage in each year since 1997.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Where information is available, the Environment Agency records the extent of flooding; however, complete estimates of actual flood damage in past years are not recorded centrally.
	The Environment Agency's Flooding in England report estimates that the expected annual cost of damages to properties at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea in England is more than £1 billion. Estimates of flood damage caused by some of the larger individual events in recent years are £3 billion for the summer 2007 flooding, £450 million for Cumbria in 2005 and £1 billion for the autumn 2000 events.

Food

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is the Government's policy to reduce domestic food production in order to achieve renewable energy targets; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As stated in the Renewable Energy Strategy, the UK biomass sector has the potential to expand without detrimental effects on food supplies and the environment if it is done in a sustainable manner. Greater recovery of wood from managed and unmanaged woodland, increasing the planting of perennial energy crops and better exploitation of the existing supply of organic waste materials, could make a significant contribution to our energy targets, particularly in the heat and electricity sectors. Imported biomass products are also likely to continue to play a role in the UK use of bio-energy.
	The UK is working in the Global Bioenergy Partnership to help build international consensus on voluntary sustainability criteria and indicators for bio-energy and biofuels, including for potential impacts on food security.

National Parks: Planning Permission

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance he issues to the authorities of national parks on the procedures to be followed in examining expressions of intent to apply for permission for development within a national park; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no Government guidance on this specific matter. However, Planning Policy Statement 1-Delivering Sustainable Development-encourages local planning authorities in general to take a positive attitude towards early engagement in pre-application discussions. As part of our response to the Killian Pretty Review, we intend to issue for consultation later this year further policy guidance on pre-application engagement.

Noise: Motorways

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people reside within the 75 decibel noise contour of  (a) the M3 between Winchester and its junction with the M27 and  (b) the M27 between its junction with the M3 and the Hamble Bridge.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Based on population exposure statistics, rounded to the nearest 100 people, it is estimated, using noise mapping results and population location information produced from the 2005 DEFRA Noise Mapping England Major Roads project that:
	 (a) there are 600 people who are exposed to 75 dB (LA10,18h) or above, generated by road traffic noise living in the vicinity of the M3, between Winchester (Junction 9) and its junction with the M27 (Junction 14).
	 (b) there are 100 people who are exposed to 75 dB (LA10,18h) or above, generated by road traffic noise living in the vicinity of the M27, between its junction with the M3 (Junction 4) to the Hamble Bridge (between Junction 8 and Junction 9).

Noise: Motorways

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate the number of people resident within the 75-decibel contour of each motorway in England; and if he will assess the effects on such residents of exposure to such levels of noise.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We do not have the specific data in the format requested. However, the Environmental Noise Directive (END-2002/49/EC) requires member states to produce noise maps. The END requires us to undertake an exposure assessment separately for major roads(1) with over 6 million vehicle passages per year, and road traffic noise sources in agglomerations.(2) Results of the noise mapping and exposure assessment are publicly available at:
	http://services.defra.gov.uk/wps/portal/noise
	The results of the mapping and exposure assessment are currently being used to support the development of Noise Action Plans, which are required to be produced under the END, drafts of which are currently undergoing public consultation until 4 November 2009, and are available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/noise-action-plan/index.htm
	In accordance with the END, exposure assessments have been undertaken for major roads.(1) The results for locations outside agglomerations are summarised in section 4 of the draft Noise Action Plan for Major Roads (outside first round agglomerations), which is available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/noise-action-plan/roads.pdf
	Table 4.5, page 10, of that document states that there are estimated to be 72,000 people in England, who are exposed to a noise level greater than or equal to 75 dB (LA10,18h), generated by road traffic noise from major roads.(1)
	Additionally, in accordance with the END, exposure assessments have been undertaken for all mapped road traffic noise sources inside agglomerations. Results for agglomerations are summarised in section 4 of the draft supporting data document for agglomerations which is available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/noise-action-plan/agglom-supporting-data.pdf
	Tables B1.3 to X1.3 of that document indicates that there are estimated to be 133,000 people in England, who are exposed to a noise level greater than or equal to 75 dB (LA10,18h), generated by road traffic noise within agglomerations.
	DEFRA does not hold data on the assessment of the effects of exposure to such levels of noise from such sources. However, reports(3) have been published this year, which consider the links between transportation noise and health effects and these noted that further research is required to validate the key findings, and that any future research development in this field should be monitored.
	(1) Major roads are as described in Regulation 3(7) of the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006 (as amended):
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20062238.htm
	(2) Agglomerations (First Round) are areas having a population in excess of 250,000 persons and a population density equal to or greater than 500 people per km(2) and which the DEFRA Secretary of State considers to be urbanised.
	(3) Environmental Noise and Health in the UK (2009):
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPA\web_C/1246433634856
	Estimating Dose-Response Relationships Between Noise Exposure and Human Health in the UK:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/igcb/publications/healthreport.htm

Oils: Waste Disposal

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of cleaning up used cooking oil which has been inappropriately disposed of.

Dan Norris: Water and sewerage companies deal with some 200,000 blockages in the public sewers every year, of which up to 75 per cent. are estimated to be caused by fat, oil and grease. Water UK estimated in 2007 that approximately £15 million is spent annually on reactive blockage clearance by the water and sewerage industry in total, and recovered from their customers through sewerage charges.

Planning Act 2008

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which draft national policy statements under the Planning Act 2008 for which his Department is responsible he expects to publish before March 2010.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department for Communities and Local Government published an update to the route map for the implementation of the Infrastructure Planning Commission regime, including the timetable for preparation of National Policy Statements, on its website on 14 July. Copies are available in the House Library.
	The route map explains that we expect to consult on the waste water National Policy Statement in spring 2010, hazardous waste in summer 2010, and water supply in late 2010.

Protection of Badgers Act 1992

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many licences were issued under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in each local authority area in each of the last three years. [R]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Policy on wildlife management issues is a devolved matter, therefore this answer relates to England only.
	Natural England has issued all licences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 since it was formed in October 2006. This information is not recorded by local authority area but has been recorded by Government office area since mid-2007. This information is set out below for each year since 2007.
	
		
			  Government office area  2007  2008  2009 (January-end September) 
			 East of England 73 90 40 
			 East Midlands 76 118 76 
			 London 4 10 5 
			 North East 15 17 7 
			 North West 38 54 57 
			 South East 130 141 84 
			 South West 253 244 223 
			 West Midlands 93 134 81 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 42 68 42 
			 Area not recorded 301 0 0 
			 Total 1,025 876 615

Protection of Badgers Act 1992

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what circumstances a licence under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 may be issued; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Policy on wildlife management issues is a devolved matter, therefore this answer relates to England only.
	The purposes for which a licence can be issued are set out in the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. All applications are determined on a case-by-case basis and would normally be expected to meet the following criteria:
	There is a genuine problem to resolve or there is a need to satisfy for which a licensing purpose is applicable;
	There are no satisfactory alternatives;
	The licensed action will contribute to resolving the problem or meeting the need;
	The action to be licensed is proportionate to the scale of the problem or need, and;
	The licensed action will not have an adverse effect on the favourable conservation status of any habitat type or species within its natural range.
	In addition all licence applications are subject to a disease risk assessment.
	The Government's policy remains that licences will not be issued for culling badgers to prevent the spread of bovine TB in England-we remain open to revisiting this policy in exceptional circumstances or if new scientific evidence becomes available.

Recycling: Metals

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on local metal recycling capacity of metal recycling operators having to demonstrate relevant planning permission to obtain an environmental permit from the Environment Agency. [R]

Dan Norris: No such assessment has been made. However, we are working with officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Environment Agency to assess how to reduce the impact on existing exempt waste management sites which would, in future, be required to obtain a permit and, therefore, would need to demonstrate planning consent.

Recycling: Plastics

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department provided for research into the recycling of plastics in each year from 2004-05 to date.

Dan Norris: DEFRA's Waste and Resources Evidence Programme (WREP) first commissioned research projects in the summer of 2005. Since then, funding for research into the recycling of plastics has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 239,160 
			 2006-07 218,436 
			 2007-08 12,000

Rural Land Register

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department is making on its update of the Rural Land Register.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In updating the Rural Land Register the Rural Payments Agency has sent map packs to some 97,000 or 85 per cent. of farmers in England with the remainder being sent over the next few weeks.
	Response rates from farmers are in line with expectations and more than 55,000 farmers have to date either confirmed acceptance or made changes.
	RPA is encouraging farmers to reply as soon as possible and ideally within a 28 day timescale. To this end, the agency is running seminars and is attending more than 90 locations at auction markets in order to supply face-to-face advice and support.

Water Charges

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of trends in the number of disconnections by water companies in the last 20 years; and if he will encourage water companies to establish charitable trusts or hardship funds.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following tables provide details of the numbers of disconnections by water companies in the last 20 years.
	A prohibition on the disconnection of domestic premises for non-payment of bills was introduced on 1 July 1999; therefore figures for household disconnections are only given from 1 April 1989 to 30 June 1999. Figures do not include those premises disconnected for reasons such as health and safety, or leakage and repair.
	On average, around five and a half thousand non-household properties are disconnected each year; however the figures show no discernible trends.
	
		
			   Non-household  Household 
			 2007-08 7,133 n/a 
			 2006-07 6,619 n/a 
			 2005-06 11,311 n/a 
			 2004-05 13,211 n/a 
			 2003-04 14,404 n/a 
			 2002-03 8,644 n/a 
			 2001-02 5,286 n/a 
			 2000-01 4,311 n/a 
			 1999-2000 3,569 1,27 
			 1998-99 1,748 1,129 
			 1997-98 1,774 1,907 
			 1996-97 1,543 3,148 
			 1995-96 1,996 5,826 
			 1994-95 2,785 10,047 
			 1993-94 2,636 12,452 
			 1992-93 3,099 18,636 
			 1991-92 (1)- 21,282 
			 1990-91 (1)- 7,673 
			 1989-90 (1)- 8,426 
			 (1) Non-household figures for 1989-90 to 1991-92 were not obtainable. 
		
	
	Most companies offer some form of charitable trust or restart scheme. These are advertised in various ways and frequently involve referrals from advice agencies. Ofwat supports this form of assistance as part of an overall package of debt prevention and management. Feedback from the water companies suggests that most customers benefiting from such schemes maintain regular payment habits.
	Ofwat offers guidance to companies on charitable trusts. The guidance specifies that where a charitable trust or a restart scheme is in place, companies should, where appropriate, tell customers about them or refer customers to a relevant contact. Companies which do not have such schemes should consider the value of establishing them independently or jointly with other companies or utilities.

Water Charges: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average percentage change in domestic water bills has been in each local authority area in the East of England since May 1997.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table sets out the average water bill and the percentage change for each year since 1 April 1997 for all the water companies that provide a service in the East of England. Ofwat does not hold information of the average water bill broken down by local authority area.
	
		
			   Average water only bill (£)  Percentage change on previous year (2009-10 prices) 
			  Anglian Water   
			 1997-98 175.21 -4.3 
			 1998-99 167.94 -4.2 
			 1999-2000 159.45 -5.1 
			 2000-01 140.15 -12.1 
			 2001-02 140.73 0.4 
			 2002-03 136.64 -2.9 
			 2003-04 139.51 2.1 
			 2004-05 140.09 0.4 
			 2005-06 154.55 10.3 
			 2006-07 162.13 4.9 
			 2007-08 170.27 5.0 
			 2008-09 171.60 0.8 
			 2009-10 173.85 1.4 
			
			  Essex and Suffolk Water   
			 1997-98 163.67 0.9 
			 1998-99 137.95 -15.7 
			 1999-2000 157.27 14.0 
			 2000-01 138.19 -12.1 
			 2001-02 138.05 -0.1 
			 2002-03 138.19 0.1 
			 2003-04 138.48 0.2 
			 2004-05 152.11 9.8 
			 2005-06 160.58 5.6 
			 2006-07 164.49 2.4 
			 2007-08 169.66 3.1 
			 2008-09 169.30 -0.2 
			 2009-10 168.17 -0.7 
			
			  Cambridge Water   
			 1997-98 145.12 -2.1 
			 1998-99 138.23 -4.7 
			 1999-2000 124.29 -10.1 
			 2000-01 115.89 -6.8 
			 2001-02 116.19 0.3 
			 2002-03 112.79 -2.9 
			 2003-04 110.03 -2.5 
			 2004-05 108.54 -1.4 
			 2005-06 120.67 11.2 
			 2006-07 119.57 -0.9 
			 2007-08 122.57 2.5 
			 2008-09 116.03 -5.3 
			 2009-10 115.96 -0.1 
			
			  Tendring Hundred   
			 1997-98 201.50 -4.2 
			 1998-99 198.11 -1.7 
			 1999-2000 191.83 -3.2 
			 2000-01 169.98 -11.4 
			 2001-02 174.11 2.4 
			 2002-03 178.44 2.5 
			 2003-04 185.71 4.1 
			 2004-05 189.43 2.0 
			 2005-06 189.83 0.2 
			 2006-07 182.51 -3.9 
			 2007-08 171.59 -6.0 
			 2008-09 178.42 4.0 
			 2009-10 175.92 -1.4 
			
			  Three Valleys (including North Surrey Water)   
			 1997-98 156.31 1.9 
			 1998-99 157.91 1.0 
			 1999-2000 160.90 1.9 
			 2000-01 136.37 -15.2 
			 2001-02 136.83 0.3 
			 2002-03 137.92 0.8 
			 2003-04 138.18 0.2 
			 2004-05 141.13 2.1 
			 2005-06 158.33 12.2 
			 2006-07 156.92 -0.9 
			 2007-08 159.52 1.7 
			 2008-09 165.63 3.8 
			 2009-10 165.84 0.1 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for 2008-09 are provisional. 2. Figures for 2009-10 are forecast. 3. Numbers may not add up due to rounding.

HOME DEPARTMENT

62 South Eaton Place

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many months' empty property council tax has been paid on 62 South Eaton Place; and how much has been paid in total since the property became vacant.

Phil Woolas: A total of £2,263 empty property tax has been paid for 62 South Eaton Place since April 2007. The total council tax paid is £3,534 since the property became vacant in March 2006.

Asylum

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the average time taken to process an application for asylum.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 26 October 2009
	In December we met our targets to conclude 60 per cent. of new asylum cases within six months. That means not only that decisions were taken early but that in a significant proportion of refusals, removal from the UK was affected within six months of application.
	In 1997 it took on average 22 months merely to reach an initial decision. We can only speculate on how much longer than that it was taking to remove those who were refused at that time.

Asylum

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of applications for refugee status made over  (a) 10 and  (b) five years ago are still waiting to be resolved by the UK Border Agency.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not reported on by the case resolution directorate and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost through the examination of individual case files. However, the UK Border Agency has made good progress in concluding the estimated 400,000 to 450,000 electronic and paper records in the asylum backlog. The total conclusions now stand at over 220,000 cases concluded to end of September 2009 as reported by Lin Homer to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 19 October 2009.

Closed Circuit Television

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1531W and the answer to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) of 11 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 521-2W, on closed circuit television, which of the recommendations contained in the strategy are  (a) proposed to be implemented and  (b) subject to further review.

Alan Campbell: As indicated in my earlier reply to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire) on 20 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1351W, progress continues to be made on implementing the National CCTV Strategy and the outcome of the review of the recommendations will be announced in due course.

Community Policing

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was allocated for the Basic Command Unit Fund in each year since its introduction; and how much has been allocated for 2009-10.

David Hanson: The Basic Command Unit Fund was implemented in 2003-04. From 2003-04 to 2007-08 inclusive the annual allocation of the fund amounted to £50 million and to £40 million in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Community Policing: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of neighbourhood policing schemes in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth constituency.

David Hanson: Neighbourhood policing is central to providing a police service that is responsive to local crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) concerns. Since 2002 we have invested over £1 billion to ensure that there is now a Neighbourhood Policing team in every neighbourhood, including in total more than 13,500 officers and 16,000 PCSOs. In December 2008, we introduced the Policing Pledge, which outlines commitments that the police service have made to the public, including minimum response times, holding monthly meetings to understand local concerns and providing regular updates on action taken to deal with those concerns.
	The latest British Crime Survey (BCS) figures released in October 2009 show an improving trend that, nationally, 50 per cent. of the public now agree that the antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter locally are being dealt with. In October 2009, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary published a report on the progress of all forces in delivering the pledge. The report graded Staffordshire police as fair.
	It is for individual police forces and authorities to ensure the effectiveness of neighbourhood policing in their area. The Government will hold forces to account for progress through the single top-down target that antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter locally are being dealt with.
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has inspected every force in England and Wales to assess their capabilities in delivering Neighbourhood Policing and Developing Citizen Focus. HMIC's assessment in September 2008 was that all forces, including Staffordshire police, had met this standard.

Community Safety Fund

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Community Safety Fund to be fully implemented; what the fund's budget for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12 is; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Community Safety Fund (CSF) was dependent on the introduction of elected crime and policing representatives on to police authorities. The CSF would have superseded the Basic Command Unit (BCU) Fund. The subsequent decision not to introduce crime and policing representatives meant the Community Safety Fund was not established. The BCU Fund remains in place.

Crime Prevention: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire have attended the community crime fighters one day training course; and how many are expected to have done so by the end of 2009.

David Hanson: The community crime fighters scheme is a training programme covering new developments in tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and policing issues. It is aimed at people who are already active in their community and will help them to be aware of the services they should expect for their communities-for example the new national policing pledge, as well as what they can do if they see problems.
	Over 3000 people have so far attended these events. 3,600 people will be trained by the end of 2009.
	Analysis of the postcodes of people attending shows no one from the Tamworth constituency (B79) has attended the training to date.
	The total of trained community crime fighters from across Staffordshire is 34. This breaks down into, five people have attended from Stafford (ST17), one person from Newcastle-under-Lyme (ST5), two from Cannock (WS11 and 12) and 26 from Stoke on Trent (ST1-4).
	Attendance has mainly been from activists living in one of the 60 neighbourhood crime and justice pioneer areas. These are areas with high crime and high deprivation levels who are working closely with the Home Office. Stoke on Trent is a pioneer area.

Departmental Air Travel

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many flights within Great Britain officials of his Department took in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse.

Phil Woolas: During 2008-09 the Home Office spent £1.7 million on flights within Great Britain. The Department's spend on all travel in 2008-09, not including expenditure incurred by its agencies, was £14.6 million. The number of flights cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The requested information for the Criminal Records Bureau cannot be identified without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All travel by civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Civil Service Management Code and any other guidance as applicable contained within Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental ICT

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what IT projects are being procured by his Department; and what stage of procurement each project has reached.

Phil Woolas: The Home Department has one IT project, the UK Border Agency's Rostering and Annualised Hours project, currently under active procurement. This is at the stage of invitation of tenders.

Detention Centres: Finance

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the running cost of each immigration removal centre was in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: The operating costs for the immigration removal estate are commercially confidential. Disclosure will prejudice the commercial interests of the UK Border Agency and its operators.

Domestic Violence: Arrests

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets police forces have for arrests following reports of domestic violence.

David Hanson: No national targets are set for police forces on arrest rates following reports of domestic violence. Domestic violence remains a serious crime.
	All police forces have measures in place to ensure that officers are aware of domestic violence and have the knowledge and skills to deal with it effectively. In 2004 the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) issued guidance on investigating domestic violence to all police forces and rolled out training on the guidance for all officers including compulsory sessions for all probationer police officers.

Drugs: Death

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths of persons aged  (a) below 16,  (b) 16, 17 and 18,  (c) 19 to 25 and  (d) over 25 years of age were attributed to the use of illegal drugs in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: holding answer 27 October 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary question asking how many deaths of persons aged  (a) below 16,  (b) 16, 17 and 18,  (c) 19 to 25 and  (d) over 25 years of age were attributed to the use of illegal drugs in the most recent year for which figures are available. (295922)
	Drugs classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) are termed 'controlled substances', and unlawful possession of a controlled substance is illegal, as is possession with intent to supply. Lawful possession of a controlled substance would include when the drug was in the possession of a person it had been prescribed to. It is not possible to ascertain from information collected at death certification whether a drug was obtained lawfully or not.
	The table attached provides the number of drug misuse deaths of persons aged  (a) below 16,  (b) 16 to 18,  (c) 19 to 25 and  (d) over 25 years of age, in England and Wales, for 2008 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Numbers of deaths related to drug misuse( 1)  by age group, England and Wales( 2 ) 2008( 3) 
			  Age group  Number 
			 Less than 16 9 
			 16-18 25 
			 19-25 206 
			 Over 25 1,498 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Deaths were included where the underlying cause was due to drug poisoning (shown in Box 1 below) and where a drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was mentioned on the death certificate. (2) Figures for England and Wales includes non-residents (3) Figures are for deaths registered in 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1 
			  Description  ICD-10 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) F11-F16, F18-F19 
			 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X40-X44 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X60-X64 
			 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X85 
			 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent Y10-Y14

Entry Clearances

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the clearance process for applications for entry to the UK in cases where the entry clearance officers are not based in the countries from which the application has been submitted; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 29 October 2009
	The UK Border Agency will deploy its resources where it is most efficient and effective to do so, also taking account of security considerations. Although the decision on a visa application may be made in another location, applicants continue to submit their applications to, and collect their visas from the visa application centre in their country of residence, or the visa application centre designated to handle applications from applicants of their nationality. The registration part of the process can, in many cases, be separated from the decision part, making full use of modern communications systems and our partnerships with VFS Global and CSC Wordbridge.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets apply to the British consulate in Islamabad on timescales for replying to letters from hon. Members on visa applications.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 16 October 2009
	No targets apply to the visa section in Islamabad or elsewhere for replying to correspondence from MPs on visa matters as our policy is to request MPs address such correspondence to the UK Border Agency's Visa Services Directorate in London.

Entry Clearances: Russia

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons charges for telephone calls to his Department's visa application centre based in Russia are charged at different rates depending on whether the call is made in English or Russian.

Phil Woolas: All callers to the UK Border Agency's Call Centre in Russia are charged at the same rate, irrespective of what language they use or where they call from within Russia. Callers are charged at 75 roubles per minute, with a minimum charge of 150 roubles per call; the charge includes VAT. Because there are no premium lines in Russia, the caller is charged through an invoice which the Call Centre company raises, taking the information from the caller at the beginning of the conversation.
	There is one exception to this. If the caller is phoning from outside Russia, there is no infrastructure to bill them for the call-the cost of the call would need to be transferred from outside Russia, which is not legally possible. This means that calls made from outside Russia are not currently charged for.

Forensic Science Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the running costs of each forensic science centre were in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The running costs of each of the laboratories over the last five years are:
	
		
			  £  m illion 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Chepstow 7.3 8.5 8.5 7.6 7.8 
			 Chorley 9.2 10.4 11.1 9.9 10.1 
			 Huntingdon 10.3 11.1 12.0 10.8 10.8 
			 Wetherby 9.6 10.6 12.5 11.3 11.9 
			 Birmingham Trident Court 11.3 11.3 11.0 9.6 9.4 
			 Birmingham Priory 8.3 9.3 10.8 10.2 9.6 
			 London 31.2 32.2 33.3 28.9 28.0

Forensic Science Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions have taken place between officials of his Department, the Forensic Science Service (FSS) and the private sector on private sector involvement in the FSS in  (a) the North West and  (b) England and Wales since July 2009.

Alan Campbell: No discussions have taken place between officials, the Forensic Science Service and the private sector about private sector involvement in the FSS in the North West or England and Wales since July 2009.

Illegal Immigrants: EC Law

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department  (a) has taken to reduce the length of time immigrants spend in administrative detention and  (b) plans to take to implement the EU Returns Directive.

Phil Woolas: The decision on whether to detain or not is made very carefully on a case by case basis. While the UK Border Agency always aims to detain immigration offenders for the shortest period of time possible, the likely duration of detention is dependent on a range of factors, such as the relative difficulty of obtaining the appropriate travel document with which a person's removal can be effected, or where there is reason to believe that the person will fail to comply with the conditions attached to a grant of temporary admission or release.
	As an alternative to detention, the introduction of better contact management through the use of physical reporting at reporting centres and police stations together with the use of electronic monitoring (tagging and voice recognition) has allowed the UK Border Agency to maintain contact with individuals at all stages of the asylum process and with those who have breached immigration law.
	The UK has not participated in and has no plans to implement the EU Returns Directive 2008/115/EC. We agree that a collective approach to removal can have advantages. However, we are not persuaded that this Directive delivers the strong returns regime that is required for dealing with irregular migration. Our current practices on the return of illegal third country nationals are broadly in line with the terms of the Directive, but we prefer to formulate our own policy, in line with our stated position on retaining control over conditions of entry and stay.

Immigration

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many applications the UK Border Agency has granted for indefinite leave to remain to individuals because they are dependants of EU nationals who are resident in the UK in the last three years;
	(2)  how many applications the UK Border Agency has granted for indefinite leave to remain to individuals because they are living with or related to EU nationals who are resident in the UK in the last three years.

Phil Woolas: This information is not available as the UK Border Agency's case information database records all family members of European Economic Area nationals who apply for permanent residence in one category (EEA4).

National Security

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the potential  (a) risk to and  (b) effect on critical infrastructure of an electromagnetic pulse caused by a (i) nuclear and (ii) non-nuclear device.

David Hanson: holding answer 12 October 2009
	The Government's Cyber Security Strategy of the United Kingdom, published alongside and reflected in the National Security Strategy update, considers a number of methods of cyber attack, including those that generate high levels of power that can damage or disrupt unprotected electronics. It also outlines the new governance structures and work streams which will build on existing work to take forward the Government's plan for reducing the impact on and vulnerability of the UK's interests from cyber attacks
	The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) provides advice on electronic or cyber protective security measures to the businesses and organisations that comprise the UK's critical national infrastructure, including public utilities, companies and banks CPNI also runs a CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) service which responds to reported attacks on private sector networks. In addition, CESG, provides government departments with advice and guidance on how to protect against, detect and mitigate various types of cyber attack.
	It would not be in the interests of national security to provide information about specific protective measures relating to electromagnetic pulse attack.

Neighbourhood Policing: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been made available for neighbourhood policing in  (a) Birmingham, Northfield constituency and  (b) Birmingham in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

David Hanson: Neighbourhood policing is central to providing a police service that is responsive to local crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) concerns. Since 2002, we have invested heavily to ensure that there is now a neighbourhood policing team in every neighbourhood, including in total more than 13,500 officers and 16,000 Police Community Support Officers. The latest British crime survey (BCS) figures released in October 2009 show an improving trend, that, nationally, 50 per cent. of the public now agree that the antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter locally are being dealt with.
	Funding is made available to police authorities, and it is for each police authority and each police force to allocate resources within the local force area. We provided £15.17 million to West Midlands police authority in 2008-09. The 2009-10 funding is £15.58 million, an increase of 2.7 per cent.

Offences Against Children: Internet

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the blocking of websites identified as containing illegal images of child pornography; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Government regularly receives representations relating to blocking, from different sections of society. The Government discusses issues relating to child protection, including blocking of websites containing illegal images, with a wide range of stakeholders.
	The Government are clear that the use of blocking to prevent access to such images is something that internet service providers should do, and the Government have been very pleased with the response from the internet industry. The internet industry, and the Internet Watch Foundation which they support, have worked closely with law enforcement to tackle websites hosted in the UK.
	This has led to less than 1 per cent. of the total number of such sites being hosted in the UK.
	Ofcom has recently published figures showing that 98.6 per cent. of consumer broadband lines are now covered by blocking based on the IWF list. It remains the Government's hope that the target of 100 per cent. of consumer-facing ISPs operating a blocking list will be achieved on a voluntary basis. However, the Government do not rule out legislation at some point in the future if it is not, and will keep progress on the target under review.

Police Community Support Officers: Manpower

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers have been recruited in  (a) Gwent and  (b) Newport East constituency since 2003.

David Hanson: The available data are provided in the following table. Data are not collected centrally at constituency level.
	
		
			  Numbers of police community officers (FTE1) recruited in Gwent, 2002-03 to 2008-09( 2,3) 
			   Gwent 
			 2002-03 30 
			 2003-04 26 
			 2004-05 58 
			 2005-06 13 
			 2006-07 44 
			 2007-08 47 
			 2008-09 15 
			 (1) Full time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March inclusive. (3) Recruits include those officers joining as Police Staff Standard Direct Recruits and those who were previously Special Constables. This excludes police community support officers on transfers from other forces and those rejoining.

Police: Bank Services

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of services lost by each police authority as a result of the collapse of Icelandic banks in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: It is for the police authority and chief constable to decide on how best to allocate resources to meet local needs.
	I am advised that none of the police authorities that held investments with the Icelandic banks face cash flow pressures as a consequence of those investments.

Police: Equal Opportunities

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ethnic groups are represented in the population of each police force area in  (a) England,  (b) the Tees Valley and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

David Hanson: Police personnel data are collected centrally on the following ethnic groups:
	White;
	Mixed;
	Black or Black British;
	Asian or Asian British;
	Chinese or Other; and
	Not Stated
	at national and police force area level. Further breakdowns are not collected centrally.
	Data are not collected for Tees Valley or at constituency level. The available data as at 31 March 2009 are provided in the following table.
	This and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Police officer strength by ethnicity in England( 1)  and Cleveland, as at  31 March 2009( 2) 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Ethnicity  England  Cleveland 
			 White 128,671 1,727 
			 Mixed 1,641 5 
			 Black or Black British 1,416 1 
			 Asian or Asian British 2,448 19 
			 Other Ethnic Group 677 3 
			 Not Stated 1,548 0 
			 Total 136,402 1,756 
			 (1) The figures shown are for the 43 police forces of England and Wales. (2) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Police: Equal Opportunities

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ethnic minority police officers were employed in  (a) England,  (b) the Tees Valley and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Data are not collected for Tees Valley or at constituency level. The available data are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Minority ethnic officer strength in England( 1)  and Cleveland, as at  31 March, 2000 to 2009( 2, 3) 
			  Full-time equivalent( 4) 
			   Cleveland  England( 1) 
			 2000 17 2,667 
			 2001 18 2,882 
			 2002 19 3,291 
			 2003 23 3,787 
			 2004 28 4,499 
			 2005 27 4,886 
			 2006 31 5,145 
			 2007 26 5,420 
			 2008 25 5,693 
			 2009 29 6,183 
			 (1) This is the total figure for the 39 police forces in England. (2) Figures are as the same as in the published Race Equality-The Home Secretary's Employment Targets reports. (3) Figures prior to 2003 are not directly comparable with figures from 2003 onwards, since figures prior to 2003 exclude staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave, whereas figures from 2003 onwards include them. (4) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. 
		
	
	This and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.

Police: Helicopters

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many helicopters are available for use by each police force.

David Hanson: The following table shows helicopters that are currently available for use by each police force in England and Wales.
	As can be seen from the table a number of police forces work in formal, shared-cost, consortia to provide an air support service across all contributing police forces.
	
		
			  Force  Consortium name  Forces  Helicopters 
			 Avon and Somerset Western Counties (1)2 (1)1 
			 Gloucestershire Western Counties (1)- (1)- 
			 
			 Cambridgeshire East Anglia (1)3 (1)3 
			 Essex East Anglia (1)- (1)- 
			 Suffolk East Anglia (1)- (1)- 
			 Cleveland - - 1 
			 
			 Derbyshire North Midlands (1)2 (1)1 
			 Nottinghamshire North Midlands (1)- (1)- 
			 
			 Devon and Cornwall - - 1 
			 Dorset - - 1 
			 Dyfed Powys - - 1 
			 GMP - - 1 
			 Humberside - - 1 
			 Lancashire - - 1 
			 
			 Leicestershire East Midlands (1)3 (1)1 
			 Northamptonshire East Midlands (1)- (1)- 
			 Warwickshire East Midlands (1)- (1)- 
			 
			 Merseyside - - 1 
			 Metropolitan/City of London Police - 2 3 
			 Norfolk - - 1 
			 
			 Northumbria North East (1)2 (1)1 
			 Durham North East (1)- (1)- 
			 
			 North Wales - - 1 
			 
			 South Wales South and East Wales (1)2 (1)1 
			 Gwent South and East Wales (1)- (1)- 
			 
			 South Yorkshire - - 1 
			 Surrey - - 1 
			 Sussex - - 1 
			 
			 Thames Valley Chiltern (1)3 (1)2 
			 Bedfordshire Chiltern (1)- (1)- 
			 Hertfordshire Chiltern (1)- (1)- 
			 
			 West Mercia Central Counties (1)2 (1)1 
			 Staffordshire Central Counties (1)- (1)- 
			 
			 West Midlands - - 1 
			 West Yorkshire - - 1 
			 Wiltshire - - 1 
			 (1) The superscripts represent a brace.

Police: Pay

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chief constables received bonus payments for meeting his Department's targets in each year since 1997; how much was paid in such bonus payments in each of those years; and what plans he has for the future of the bonus system.

David Hanson: Decisions on chief officer bonus payments are a matter for the police authority, in line with criteria agreed by the Police Negotiating Board in 2005 and set out in PNB Circular 2005/3. I have arranged for a copy of this Circular to be placed in the House Library. Data on the bonuses paid to chief constables are not held centrally. Any proposal for changes to the nationally agreed chief officer bonus arrangements would need to be considered by the Police Negotiating Board.

Police: Public Appointments

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whom police authorities are required to consult before they appoint a chief constable; what regulations govern such appointments; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Police authorities appoint chief constables subject to the approval of the Home Secretary and to police regulations, and involving the regional HM Inspector of Constabulary. Other consultation, consistent with good recruitment practice, is a matter for the police authority.
	Regulation 11 of the Police Regulations 2003, as amended by the Police (Amendment) Regulations 2006, covers the appointment of senior officers.

Police: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers there were in each year since 1997 and  (b) police community safety officers there have been in each year since 2002 in Tamworth constituency.

David Hanson: The available data are provided in the following table.
	Police personnel statistics are not collected centrally at constituency level, but have been collected at Basic Command Unit level from April 2002.
	
		
			  Police officers and PCSOs in Trent Valley Basic Command Unit, as at 31 March( 1,2,3) 
			   Police officers  PCSOs 
			 2009 405 63 
			 2008 410 47 
			 2007 417 50 
			 2006 412 (1)15 
			 2005 429 (1)15 
			 2004 392 (2)- 
			 (1) PCSO figures are as at 30 June. (2) Not available.  Notes: 1. Data at Basic Command Unit level have been provided, since data are not collected centrally at constituency level. 2. These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. Data on police strength by police Basic Command Unit was collected centrally for the first time for the period beginning April 2002. However, in 2003 Staffordshire were unable to provide data at BCU level. Therefore, data are not available prior to 31 March 2004.

Radicalism: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget his Department has allocated to tackle the spread of extremism on the web.

David Hanson: A wide range of work is being undertaken to prevent the spread of extremism including hate crime and terrorism on the web. Work is also being undertaken by the police. It is not possible to give comprehensive figures for the resources allocated to this.

Radicalism: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what organisations his Department is working with to prevent the spread of extremism on the web; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The strategy to tackle the use of the internet by terrorists and violent extremists is delivered by a wide range of organisations, including a number of Government Departments and agencies, the police, and, crucially, community activists. The internet is a tool which terrorists and violent extremists may seek to use across the range of their activities. We are determined to work with all these partners to make the internet a more hostile environment for them.
	Furthermore, in September 2009 the Government launched their Cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan. This sets out work to improve responses to all types of hate crime, including incitement to hatred that occurs on the internet. It includes actions to update police guidance and structures to ensure effective, robust responses to internet hate crime.

Radicalism: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which industry partners he has had discussions on preventing the spread of extremism on the web.

David Hanson: A range of industry representatives attended a ministerial meeting in February 2008 to discuss ways in which the Home Department might work together with industry partners to tackle online radicalisation. The focus of efforts since has been informed by that discussion, reflecting companies' concerns and priorities and Government's desire to take a proportionate and evidence-based approach. Officials continue to hold constructive discussions with industry to develop existing work and explore other options. It would not be appropriate to name the companies involved in these voluntary discussions.

Security: Olympic Games 2012

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to ensure the security of foreign dignitaries attending the London 2012 Olympics.

David Hanson: holding answer 28 October 2009
	We adhere to our international legal obligations to implement appropriate security measures for all visits by foreign dignitaries to ensure their safety and dignity are not compromised. A security framework specifically for the Olympic and Paralympics games 2012 is being developed which builds on existing UK protective security measures, but we do not discuss the details of protection arrangements for public figures as to do so may compromise their safety.

UK Police Portal Team

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed in the UK Police Portal Team; and what the budget for the team has been in each year since its inception.

David Hanson: The Police Portal Service ceased on 31 March 2007, consequently the UK Police Portal Team no longer exists. The total cost of the team prior to its disbandment was approximately £640,000 per annum.

HEALTH

Cancer: Databases

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) funding and  (b) other support has been provided to the National Cancer Intelligence Network in each of the last three financial years.

Ann Keen: Funding for the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN), which was launched in June 2008, is included in the financial bundle allocated by the Department to NHS London. In 2008-09, NHS London set a budget of £320,000 for services performed by the NCIN. This budget has increased to £2.7 million for 2009-10.
	The NCIN also receives funding for one targeted post from Cancer Research UK, and for another from the Medical Research Council, Oncore UK, National Cancer Research Network (NCRN) and Macmillan Cancer Research. The NCRN also co-funds a further post with the NCIN.

Cancer: Databases

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) public funding and  (b) other support has been provided to each of the cancer registries in each of the last three financial years.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the total amount of funding allocated by the Department to the Regional Directors for Public Health for cancer registry commitments for the last three financial years, 2007-08 to 2009-10.
	
		
			  Allocations to Regional Directors for Public Health for cancer registry commitments 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  £ 
			  Cancer registry  2007-08 allocation  2008-09 allocation  2009-10 allocation 
			 Eastern Cancer Registry and Information Centre 1,024,000 1,126,971 1,235,000 
			 North West Cancer Intelligence Service 1,467,000 1,461,551 1,455,000 
			 Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Service 1,450,000 1,467,331 1,485,000 
			 Oxford Cancer Intelligence Unit 604,000 613,068 622,000 
			 South West Cancer Intelligence Service 1,449,000 1,490,330 1,532,000 
			 Thames Registry 2,446,000 2,517,930 2,591,000 
			 Trent Registry 959,000 1,024,372 1,093,000 
			 West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit 1,221,000 1,205,187 1,188,000 
			 Total 10,620,000 10,906,740 11,201,000 
			  Source:  Department of Health internal financial management data.

Cancer: Health Services

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust spent per head on treating each type of cancer in each of the last five years; and how much on average each primary care trust spent on such treatment in each such year.

Ann Keen: A table showing Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust's estimated expenditure per head on cancer and tumours for the last five available years, 2003-04 to 2007-08, as well as the estimated national average expenditure per head for the same years, has been placed in the Library. This table also provides details of the net expenditure on cancer and tumours at sub-category level for 2006-07 (the first year that this data were collected at sub-category level for a number of tumour types) and 2007-08.
	Tables showing the net expenditure on cancer and tumours at sub-category level for 2006-07 and 2007-08 by each primary care trust (PCT) have also been placed in the Library. These tables show expenditure on each PCT's own local population.
	The figures in these tables include primary prescribing but exclude General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services expenditure and any prevention-related expenditure, such as screening.

Care Quality Commission: Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure the revision of the Care Quality Commission's website to make it more user-friendly.

Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) but they inform us that overall feedback about their website is positive, as measured through responses from individual users, via online surveys and through specific testing with people-public and professionals-who use its pages. Around 460,000 unique visitors used the site during Quarter 2 of 2009, spending more than eight minutes on average per visit. The site offers content in a range of accessible formats, including easy read, large print, British Sign Language and audio.
	CQC believes there is always scope to improve the way it offers information about the quality of care services. With this in mind, improvements are planned to the site later this year. A major investment is planned for next year to make the most of the opportunity posed by the new registration system for health and adult social care providers.
	We understand CQC have contacted the hon. Member for Eddisbury's office to seek specific feedback.

Childbirth

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women giving birth in  (a) the Vale of York,  (b) North Yorkshire and  (c) England did so at home in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply
	 Letter from Jil Matheson:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what percentage of women giving birth in (a) the Vale of York, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) England did so at home in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008. (291712)
	The table attached provides the percentage of maternities that took place at home in (a) Vale of York parliamentary constituency, (b) North Yorkshire county, and (c) England for the years 2005 to 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of maternities that took place at home, Vale of York parliamentary constituency, North Yorkshire county and England( 1) , 2005 to 2008( 2) 
			  Percentage 
			  Area  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Vale of York 2 2 2 3 
			 North Yorkshire 2 2 2 2 
			 England 3 3 3 3 
			 (1 )Based on boundaries as of 2009.(  2 )Figures are based on maternities in a given calendar year.

Childbirth: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women gave birth at  (a) Barnet Hospital,  (b) the Royal Free Hospital,  (c) Northwick Park Hospital and  (d) Chase Farm Hospital in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request Parliamentary question asking how many women gave birth at (a) Barnet Hospital, (b) the Royal Free Hospital, (c) Northwick Park Hospital and (d) Chase Farm Hospital in each of the last three years. (296587)
	Figures for maternities by hospital have been compiled from birth registration data. The table below shows the number of maternities in 2006, 2007 and 2008 for the four hospitals requested, according to registration data. Information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration rather than by the hospitals themselves.
	
		
			  Maternities( 1)  occurring in selected hospitals, 2006 to 2008 
			  Hospital  2006  2007  2008 
			 Barnet Hospital (including Victoria Ward) 3,188 3,246 3,097 
			 Royal Free Hospital 3,209 3,305 3,335 
			 Northwick Park Hospital 4,272 4,740 4,768 
			 Chase Farm Hospital 2,959 3,015 3,109 
			 (1)A maternity is a confinement resulting in the birth of one or more live-born or stillborn children.

Community Nurses

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average case load for district nurses  (a) in each primary care trust area and  (b) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Caseloads for district nurses are not determined centrally as this is an issue for commissioners and local managers who understand prevailing conditions and can take account of specific factors.

Community Nurses: Derbyshire

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family nurse partnerships are in place in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) North East Derbyshire constituency.

Ann Keen: There is one family nurse partnership in place in Derbyshire. This is the Derby City Family Nurse Partnership, which has been in place since April 2007.

Dental Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) staff of his Department and  (b) specialist commissioned consultants worked in support of the Dental Access Programme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Precise headcount figures are not available for either departmental staff or specialist commissioned consultants in regard to the Dental Access Programme. This is because the staff and some of the consultants support a range of activities in which the Dental Access Programme is only one element.

Dental Services: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of dentists in each county in the East of England undertake NHS work.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of practicing dentists who undertake only private practice is not collected centrally.
	The numbers of dentists with national health service activity during the year ending 31 March 2009 are available in Table G1 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2008-09 report. This report, published on 19 August 2009, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809
	Information is provided for England and by strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT), but is not available by county.
	For the year ending 31 March 2009, the numbers of dentists with NHS activity within the East of England SHA were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 East of England SHA 2,472 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 224 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 259 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 338 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 105 
			 Luton PCT 80 
			 Mid Essex PCT 144 
			 Norfolk PCT 310 
			 North East Essex PCT 123 
			 Peterborough PCT 84 
			 South East Essex PCT 136 
			 South West Essex PCT 177 
			 Suffolk PCT 265 
			 West Essex PCT 122 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 330 
		
	
	This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements introduced on 1 April 2006.
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes any previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counts the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
	These published figures do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.

Dental Services: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of dentists in each county in the East of England were offering treatment to new NHS patients at the latest date for which information is available.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of dentists accepting new national health service patients at any point in time is not collected centrally. Primary care trusts are responsible for monitoring the availability of primary dental care services and for maintaining information for local helplines and patient information services on where new patients may obtain NHS services.

Dental Services: Finance

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much has been allocated to support the immediate priorities identified in the Independent Review of NHS Dental Services in England in each category of funding; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when his Department expects to allocate budgets in support of the Independent Review of NHS Dental Services in England for 2010-11.

Ann Keen: Much of the work on developing and implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review of National Health Service dental services will be carried out by departmental staff within existing resources at no additional cost to the Department. In addition, we are currently tendering for specialist consultancy support for the implementation of the recommendations. We estimate this will cost up to £490,000 (excluding VAT) in this financial year (2009-10). Budget plans for 2010-11 to take effect from 1 April 2010 will be informed by this development work, but will also be subject to the ongoing monitoring of progress and requirements through the course of next year.

Departmental Aviation

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many flights within Great Britain officials of his Department took in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse.

Phil Hope: A total of 1,316 domestic flights within Great Britain were undertaken during 2008-09 at a cost of £239,130.08.

Derbyshire: General Practitioners and Health Centres

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many new GP surgeries have opened in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) North East Derbyshire constituency since 1997;
	(2)  how many one-stop primary care centres there are in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) North East Derbyshire constituency.

Mike O'Brien: Information on numbers of new general practitioner (GP) surgeries opened is not collected centrally.
	Data on one-stop primary care centres were not collected by local authority areas but by primary care trusts (PCTs), which were reconfigured in 2006. The number of one-stop primary care centres created under the NHS Plan target for the new Derbyshire PCT is 11. This includes a new GP health centre opened in Ilkeston as part of the Government's policy to have a new GP health centre in every PCT, open from 8 am to 8 pm, 365 days a year, which patients can attend on a walk-in basis or by appointment. Patients can register with the centres if they find this convenient or use the service while remaining registered at their existing practice.

Drugs: Exports

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the extent of the practice of parallel exporting of pharmaceuticals.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) on 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 735W.

Drugs: Misuse

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use were recorded in England in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Activity in English national health service hospitals and English national health service commissioned activity in the independent sector, data years 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			   Finished admission episodes 
			 2004-05 44,367 
			 2005-06 47,854 
			 2006-07 47,886 
			 2007-08 48,583 
			 2008-09 48,970 
			  Note:  These figures include admissions for alcohol-induced mental health conditions.   Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria the National Drug Treatment Agency uses to make its assessment of whether a person leaving treatment is drug-free; and whether such assessments take account of the use of alcohol.

Gillian Merron: Data on individuals in structured drug treatment are collected by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) via the national drug treatment monitoring system (NDTMS).
	The NDTMS counts the number of people successfully leaving treatment each year free of their drug of dependency. This figure is made up of two categories:
	'Treatment completed free of dependency (no drug use)'; and
	'Treatment completed free of dependency (occasional use)'.
	'Treatment completed free of dependency (no drug use)' means that in the opinion of the treating clinician, the client is not only free of dependency but is not using any other illicit drugs at all on exiting treatment.
	'Treatment completed free of dependency (occasional use)' means that the client is not misusing heroin or crack, but there may be occasional use of other illicit drugs, for example, cannabis which is judged by the clinician neither to be problematic nor to require treatment.
	The two categories together give the total number of clients leaving treatment free of dependency, which is one of the ways in which the NTA measures successful treatment outcomes.
	Neither category includes alcohol use, as people recorded on the NDTMS are seeking help for a primary drug problem. However, alcohol misuse by primary drug misusers would be addressed during treatment and the NTA would expect that clinicians continue to address alcohol dependence as appropriate if, and when, a client is no longer drug dependent nor monitored through NDTMS. Data on people receiving treatment for primary alcohol misuse are collected by the national alcohol treatment monitoring system for the Department of Health.

Mental Health: Economic Situation

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will  (a) estimate the number of NHS counsellors and  (b) assess the likely demand for NHS casualty services required to deal with increases in the incidence in mental health problems arising as a result of the economic downturn.

Phil Hope: The Department has not commissioned research on the impact of the economic downturn on levels of demand for mental health services. However, we recognise that there are links between poor mental health and difficult economic circumstances. Mental health services in England are now better prepared than ever before to provide help for these people.
	Since 2001-02, total planned investment in adult mental health services has increased by 50 per cent. (or £2.0 billion), putting in place the services and staff needed to transform mental health services. Total planned investment increased from £5.530 billion in 2007-08 to £5.892 billion in 2008-09, a 6.6 per cent. increase in the amount, and 4.0 per cent. in real terms.
	We also have 64 per cent. more consultant psychiatrists, 71 per cent. more clinical psychologists and 21 per cent. more mental health nurses than we had in 1997, providing better care and support for people with mental health problems. (Full-time equivalent).
	Because of the National Service Framework and increased funding, we now have over 740 new community mental health teams offering home treatment, early intervention, or intensive support for people who might otherwise have been admitted to hospital.
	We are also investing significantly in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme with annual funding rising to £173 million in the third year (2010-11), to train 3,600 extra therapists and treat 900,000 more people in those three years.
	The talking therapy services that are already up and running under the IAPT programme have been very successful, with 73,000 people entering treatment and 1,500 more therapists being employed under the scheme.
	In March 2009, a £13 million package of measures was announced to tackle the effects of the economic downturn. Employment is key to good mental health and the £13 million will strengthen the health service's links with employment services at local level, speed up the introduction of IAPT services in the areas most affected by the recession and provide better public access to information online at NHS Choices. The NHS Credit Crunch Stressline has also been established and is taking calls from people whose health is being affected by money worries.

Mental Health: Research

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on each research project relating to personality disorder among offenders in each year since 1999; and what publications resulted from research  (a) commissioned and  (b) funded by his Department.

Phil Hope: The costs of research in this joint development programme has been shared with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the research programme managed by the MoJ. The total Department of Health contribution to the cost of the many research projects since 2000 is £3,359,000.
	Some research is still ongoing and due to deliver in 2010. Most other research projects have resulted in a considerable number of related publications in academic journals. The delivery of the Bradley Review recommendations on personality disorders in offender populations will include full consideration of the results of all this research evidence before presenting a new interdepartmental strategy for personality disorder in October 2010.

Methadone

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of a methadone prescription was in each of the last five years; and what the total cost of methadone prescriptions was in the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is shown in the following tables. The British National Formulary lists methadone in three separate sections: as a cough suppressant; as an opioid analgesic; and for the treatment of drug dependence. Data have been provided on the basis of this classification according to the preparation dispensed, not the purpose of the prescription.
	
		
			  Average net ingredient cost per prescription item 
			  £ 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Cough suppressant 3.24 4.05 4.17 3.70 3.74 
			 Opioid analgesics 22.95 22.57 21.62 21.21 20.59 
			 Drugs used in substance dependence 8.12 8.67 9.22 11.37 12.35 
			 Average 8.84 9.27 9.68 11.70 12.59 
		
	
	
		
			  Total net ingredient cost 
			  £000 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Cough suppressant 3.5 3.9 4.3 4.6 4.0 
			 Opioid analgesics 2,015.6 1,993.5 1,831.7 1,781.1 1,693.2 
			 Drugs used in substance dependence 13,972.6 16,949.2 20,201.5 27,362.1 32,778.7 
			 Total 15,991.6 18,946.7 22,037.5 29,147.8 34,476.0 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis System

Methadone

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average duration of a methadone prescription for a problem drug user was in the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: These data are not collected centrally.
	National clinical guidelines do not specify how long a person should be in treatment and the duration of drug treatment varies markedly according to individual need. Research shows that staying in treatment for at least 12 weeks has a lasting positive benefit in reducing the harm associated with dependence.
	We also know that it is usual for drug users to go in and out of treatment several times, often over several years, before becoming drug-free.

NHS: Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness of 25 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 1119-20W, on NHS: drugs, what progress has been made in developing proposals for pilot studies to assess the demand for unfunded drugs; against what criteria sites for such pilot studies will be selected; when he expects them to commence; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The project manager for the piloting work took up post in September 2009, and is in the process of engaging with key experts on the design of the pilots and with possible pilot sites.

Nurses

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses per 100 hospital beds there were in  (a) England,  (b) West Suffolk Hospital and  (c) Ipswich Hospital in each year since 1999.

Ann Keen: The nurse to bed ratio has only been recorded electronically since 2001. The following table shows the number of nurses per 100 hospital beds in England, West Suffolk Hospital and Ipswich Hospital from 2001.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing staff in England, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust per 100 total available beds( 1)  as at 30 September each specified year 
			2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 England England 177.6 187.4 198.4 204.0 210.7 213.5 225.6 240.9 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust RGQ 158.3 163.2 167.9 170.1 175.6 170.1 188.5 187.0 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust RGR 121.2 126.7 156.8 149.9 156.3 161.1 188.6 200.4 
			 (1) The 'total available beds' figure is the average daily number of open and staffed beds on wards open overnight in NHS hospitals in England. Figures are submitted annually on form KH03 by each NHS Trust and provide a summary across all hospital sites within the Trust.  Notes: 1. Staff in post figures are as at 30 September. Figures are calculated against headcount. 2. Figures are rounded to one decimal place.  Sources: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. Department of Health KH03.

Osteoporosis: Health Services

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will extend the length of the Osteoporosis Diagnosis and Prevention Scheme.

Ann Keen: This is presently being considered as part of negotiations on the 2010-11 general practitioner (GP) contract between NHS Employers and the GPs' Committee of the British Medical Association.

Patients: Human Rights

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress  (a) Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals,  (b) Northwick Park Hospital and  (c) the Royal Free Hospital have made towards fulfilment of their statutory duties in respect of the human rights of their patients; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: We are advised by the London Strategic Health Authority that Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust, North West London Hospitals NHS Trust and Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust have human rights policies in place.
	The NHS Constitution, published in January 2009, has established the principles and values of the national health service in England. A copy has already been placed in the Library. It makes it clear that NHS organisations have a duty to each and every individual that they serve and must respect their human rights.

Pharmacy: Greater London

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2009,  Official Report, column 352W, on pharmacy, what assessment he has made of  (a) the effectiveness of the use of essential small pharmacy local pharmaceutical services contracts in London and  (b) the adequacy of support provided to pharmacies in London that fail to reach their prescription item threshold.

Mike O'Brien: It is for primary care trusts to assess what arrangements are required to ensure the proper and sufficient provision of drugs and medicines within their areas and the Department would not, therefore, undertake any such assessment.

Social Workers

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers there were in  (a) England,  (b) the Tees Valley and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: The number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) social workers employed directly by social services departments in England and the Tees Valley as at the 30 September each year from 1999 to 2008 is shown in the following table.
	Information is collected by councils with social services responsibilities and is not available at constituency level. Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency covers part of Middlesbrough unitary authority and part of Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority. Tees Valley includes the following councils: Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees.
	
		
			  Number of social workers( 1)  employed directly by social services departments( 2 ) in England and the Tees Valley 1999-2008( 3) 
			   1999  2000  2001  2002( 4)  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Tees Valley 561.3 590.1 627.7 653.5 647.5 695.0 694.3 719.5 745.9 793.4 
			  of which:   
			 Darlington 64.6 65.8 74.4 70.4 57.8 79.0 76.0 78.0 85.2 88.5 
			 Hartlepool 106.0 104.5 117.9 114.6 117.9 118.2 104.8 105.0 107.4 107.9 
			 Middlesbrough 139.3 157.5 165.7 196.5 206.5 234.1 242.0 262.6 262.7 249.8 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 121.0 118.0 124.5 126.8 123.1 122.4 120.0 124.3 136.3 140.2 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 130.4 144.3 145.2 - 142.2 141.3 151.5 149.6 155.3 207.0 
			
			 England 35,822.2 36,922.4 37,795.0 38,825.0 40,420.2 41,141.0 42,365.3 43,891.7 44,769.8 44,790.1 
			 (1) Children's and adult social workers using the definition as used for the performance indicators which formed part of the Performance Assessment Framework (PAF).  (2) The information supplied is the number of social workers employed by social services departments in England and does not include agency staff.  (3) As at 30 September each year.  (4) Information for Stockton-on-Tees in 2002 is not available and so data for 2001 has been used as a proxy to calculate Tees Valley and England figures, this matches the Department of Health publication of this data.

Swine Flu: Pregnancy

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has assessed on the safety of the swine influenza vaccine to pregnant women and unborn children.

Gillian Merron: It is the role of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency to review all the available clinical and pre-clinical data for the swine flu vaccines and to assess their safety and immunogenicity.
	Both Pandemrix and Celvapan, the swine flu vaccines used in the United Kingdom, have been licensed by the European Commission for use by pregnant women.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Bullying

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken in response to the allegation of bullying and harassment by NHS East Midlands staff in respect of senior management at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

Phil Hope: Following public allegations of bullying and harassment against the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA), David Nicholson, national health service chief executive asked an extremely experienced and senior former manager from the NHS to undertake an independent review of these allegations. On 28 October 2009, the Department released the review's findings and David Nicholson's response. They are available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Equalityandhumanrights/Bullyingandharassment/index.htm
	Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library.
	The independent review found no evidence in the allegations of bullying or harassment of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust by the East Midlands SHA. The NHS Constitution has set out the right for staff to have healthy and safe working conditions, one which has no place for bullying, harassment or discrimination. The NHS has taken strong steps to eliminate bullying and harassment in the workplace and all NHS employers are expected to have policies and procedures in place to tackle this.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to reply to Question 291712, on the percentage of women giving birth at home, tabled on 9 October 2009.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	Question 291712 has been answered today. I apologise for the delay in replying which was due to an administrative oversight.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when she plans to reply to questions  (a) 291792 and  (b) 291793, on numbers of live births, tabled on 9 October 2009.

Angela Smith: Questions 291792 and 291793 have been answered today. I apologise for the delay in replying which was due to an administrative oversight.

CABINET OFFICE

Cancer

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were diagnosed with  (a) breast cancer and  (b) other cancers in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
	.
	The latest available numbers for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
	Table 1 provides the numbers of  (a) newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer from 1997 to 2006 in (i) Jarrow parliamentary constituency, (ii) South Tyneside local authority district, (iii) North East government office region and (iv) England and Wales.
	Table 2 provides the numbers of  (b) newly diagnosed cases of all cancers from 1997 to 2006 in (i) Jarrow parliamentary constituency, (ii) South Tyneside local authority district, (iii) North East government office region and (iv) England and Wales. Numbers relating to 'all' cancers have been provided because it cannot be definitively stated that a diagnosed case of an 'other' cancer is not in a person also diagnosed with breast cancer.
	
		
			  Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer;( 1)  Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside local authority district, north-east Government office region, England and Wales, 1997-2006( 2) 
			  Number 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Jarrow 61 42 67 60 54 62 73 59 64 84 
			 South Tyneside 104 94 105 119 102 104 133 117 119 157 
			 North-east 1,567 1,698 1,686 1,710 1,764 1,749 1,969 1,988 1,993 2,025 
			 England and Wales(3) 35,745 36,087 38,021 37,173 37,888 37,910 40,176 40,332 41,089 40,745 
			 (1) Breast cancer coded to C50 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).(  2) Based on boundaries as of 2009.(  3) Figures for Wales provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of all cancers;( 1)  Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside local authority district, north-east Government office region, England and Wales, 1997-2006( 2) 
			  Number 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Jarrow 457 440 465 453 446 471 462 452 485 521 
			 South Tyneside 812 838 857 889 828 863 878 892 893 918 
			 North East 12,384 12,922 13,093 13,119 13,483 13,645 13,748 13,605 13,620 13,495 
			 England and Wales(3) 237,074 236,749 244,460 244,836 248,327 246,109 250,735 256,146 258,645 259,459 
			 (1) All cancers coded from C00 to C97 , excluding non melanoma skin cancer C44, according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).  (2) Based on boundaries as of 2009.  (3) Figures for Wales provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit.

Childbirths

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many live births occurred in  (a) the Vale of York,  (b) North Yorkshire and  (c) England in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated September 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many live births occurred in (a) the Vale of York, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) England in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008. (291792)
	The table attached provides the number of live births in (a) Vale of York parliamentary constituency, (b) North Yorkshire county, and (c) England for the years 2005 to 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Live births, Vale of York parliamentary constituency, North Yorkshire county and England,( 1)  2005 to 2008( 2) 
			  Area  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Vale of York 1,043 997 1,033 1,048 
			 North Yorkshire 5,700 5,745 5,779 6,197 
			 England 613,028 635,748 655,357 672,809 
			 (1) Based on boundaries as of 2009. (2) Figures are based on births registered in calendar year.

Childbirths

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many live births occurred in  (a) Friarage Hospital, Northallerton,  (b) Malton Hospital, Malton,  (c) James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough and  (d) Scarborough Hospital, Scarborough in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated September 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the number of live births occurring in (a) Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, (b) Malton Hospital, Malton, (c) James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough and (d) Scarborough Hospital, Scarborough in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008. (291793)
	Figures for live births by hospital have been compiled from birth registration data. The table below shows the number of live births in 2005 to 2008 in the four hospitals requested, according to registration data. Information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration rather than by the hospitals themselves.
	
		
			  Live births occurring in selected hospitals, 2005-08 
			  Communal establishment  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Friarage Hospital, Northallerton 1,185 1,285 1,244 1,317 
			 Malton Hospital, Malton 57 48 23 12 
			 James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough 3,659 3,714 3,994 4,048 
			 Scarborough Hospital, Scarborough 1,487 1,508 1,572 1,675

Death: Cancer

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) diagnosed cases and  (b) deaths from each type of cancer there were in (i) England, (ii) Twickenham constituency and (iii) Richmond and Twickenham primary care trust area in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson:
	.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006, while the latest figures for deaths are for the year 2008.
	Table 1 provides the number of (a) newly diagnosed all cancers and the most common cancers in (i) England, (ii) Twickenham parliamentary constituency and (iii) Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust for each year from 2002 to 2006.
	Table 2 provides the number of (b) deaths from all cancers and the most common cancers in (i) England, (ii) Twickenham parliamentary constituency and (iii) Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust for each year from 2004 to 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1. Registration of newly diagnosed cases of cancer( 1) : all cancers and top 10 specific cancers, England( 2) , 2002-06( 3) 
			   England  Twickenham parliamentary constituency  Richmond and Twickenham primary care trust 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 All cancers 230,208 234,434 239,273 241,974 242,184 440 434 391 439 448 748 768 706 711 774 
			 Breast 35,552 37,777 37,936 38,699 38,278 90 82 60 88 71 131 150 104 136 133 
			 Lung 30,492 30,666 31,118 31,505 31,128 62 52 46 45 53 99 94 88 77 89 
			 Colorectal 28,218 28,496 29,430 29,945 30,046 52 47 52 58 66 95 84 93 86 102 
			 Prostate 27,974 28,222 30,539 29,299 30,024 49 51 42 39 53 106 81 80 66 94 
			 Non-Hodgkins lymphoma 7,994 8,341 8,550 8,627 8,768 18 18 15 19 22 34 31 29 29 34 
			 Melanoma of skin 6,661 6,918 7,596 8,102 8,658 10 11 12 14 12 17 22 24 31 25 
			 Bladder 8,485 8,528 8,262 8,565 8,373 12 23 21 17 11 23 35 38 32 20 
			 Pancreas 6,056 6,130 6,392 6,520 6,432 9 14 13 12 11 16 27 21 14 21 
			 Oesophagus 6,162 6,278 6,230 6,455 6,353 11 17 6 10 7 18 25 14 16 11 
			 Stomach 7,370 6,885 6,717 6,543 6,216 11 (4)- 9 16 15 15 7 13 20 26 
			 (1 )Cause of cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10); the causes and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in box 1. (2 )Based on boundaries as of 2009. (3) Newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. (4) Under three cases. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths where cancer was the underlying cause of death( 1) : all cancers and top 10 specific cancers, England( 2)  , 2004-08( 3) 
			   England  Twickenham parliamentary constituency  Richmond and Twickenham  p rimary  c are  t rust 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 All cancers 126,048 126,246 126,779 127,719 128,802 229 211 256 205 202 386 340 403 350 321 
			 Breast 10,341 10,375 10,302 10,062 10,122 21 27 24 21 22 34 36 45 27 34 
			 Lung 26,399 26,786 27,368 27,656 28,198 35 37 47 42 41 68 63 80 75 64 
			 Colorectal 12,978 12,924 12,868 12,841 13,067 22 27 30 18 22 36 34 43 36 28 
			 Prostate 8,531 8,492 8,506 8,659 8,597 18 17 16 19 17 32 21 24 27 27 
			 Non-Hodgkins lymphoma 3,718 3,732 3,723 3,761 3,722 12 5 7 7 2 21 11 13 9 5 
			 Melanoma of skin 1,480 1,529 1,536 1,710 1,725 2 2 9 4 3 6 7 10 8 5 
			 Bladder 4,066 3,912 4,046 4,125 4,188 11 6 10 5 12 16 15 14 10 15 
			 Pancreas 5,888 6,074 6,183 6,394 6,506 18 10 11 10 6 26 14 19 17 11 
			 Oesophagus 5,894 6,061 6,066 5,953 6,131 11 7 10 13 3 13 13 12 20 8 
			 Stomach 4,694 4,583 4,216 4,255 4,226 4 9 12 3 4 7 12 18 6 6 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in box 1. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2009. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1:  International Classification of Diseases, Tenth revision (ICD-10) codes for all cancers and selected cancers 
			  Group name  ICD-10 code 
			 All cancers C00-C97 
			  excluding C44 
			 Oesophagus C15 
			 Stomach C16 
			 Colorectal C18-C20 
			 Pancreas C25 
			 Lung C34 
			 Melanoma of skin C43 
			 Breast C50 
			 Prostate C61 
			 Bladder C67 
			 Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma C82-C85

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will consider the merits of securing accreditation of her Department's helplines to the Helplines Association's quality standard; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Office of the Third Sector is responsible for running an inquiry line whose primary purpose is to support the variety of other information sources (publications, website) available to members of the public on Government's support for the Third Sector. Whilst I commend the Helplines Association's Quality Standard, the Office of the Third Sector inquiry line falls outside the criteria for such a standard.

Electronic Warfare

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps she has taken to reduce the number of cyber attacks on Government departments in 2009.

David Hanson: holding answer 28 October 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are working closely with industry and continue to place a high priority on defending departmental networks from attack.
	The Office for Cyber Security was established on 1 September 2009. Its purpose is to provide strategic leadership and coherence across Government on the cyber security strategy.
	The Cyber Security Operations Centre was established on 1 September 2009 to monitor the health of cyber space and co-ordinate incident response.
	The Police central e-Crime Unit (which was created in September 2008 and is part of the Metropolitan Police Service) deals with criminal cyber attacks and a number of arrests have been made during 2009.
	It would not be in the national or public interest to go into more detail regarding particular measures taken.

Olympic Games 2012: Voluntary Work

Andy Reed: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress she has made in promoting volunteering opportunities associated with the London 2012 Olympics in sports clubs; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The London 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games present a huge opportunity to boost both volunteering and participation in sport.
	The Government have set a target to get 2 million more people more active by 2012-13, 1 million through sport, which will be delivered by Sport England. In addition, Sport England aims to increase volunteering in sport through their strategy for 2008-11 and a new volunteering centre of excellence team. This team is working with national governing bodies to ensure that sports clubs are provided with the skills, capacity and resources to develop their volunteering and to maximise their enthusiasm for London 2012.
	Sport England is also working with Volunteering England and Youthnet on the development of the Cabinet Office funded Inspiration and Legacy from the 2012 Games project. The project, launched in May 2009, aims to encourage volunteering as part of the legacy of the 2012 games. It will direct individuals inspired to volunteer by the 2012 games to volunteering opportunities in sports, including sports clubs, culture and the environment.

Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people under the age of 18 are resident in each local authority area.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter  from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people under the age of 18 are resident in each local authority area (295509).
	Table 1 shows the number of people aged under 18 resident in each local authority area in mid-2008. These are the latest data available. A copy of the table will be available in the Libraries of the House.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Programme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes her Department plans to make to the Access to Work programme in support of the Government's Valuing Employment Now strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 21 October 2009
	The Government are fully committed to ensuring that individuals are able to achieve their full potential and ambitions for work. This includes providing services which better meet the needs of the Public Service Agreement 16 customer group, which includes people with moderate to severe learning disabilities.
	With this in mind, the Government launched 'Valuing Employment Now: real jobs for people with learning disabilities' on 24 June 2009. Our aspiration is to close the gap between the employment rate for people with learning disabilities and that of the disabled population as a whole. In real terms this means an extra 45,000 people with learning disabilities in employment.
	Access to Work is an important specialist disability employment service delivered by Jobcentre Plus, and therefore will be vital in achieving this aspiration. We are currently exploring how we can ensure that the programme provides the most flexible, responsive and appropriate support for all customers, and to ensure that the funding is focussed on those who need it most, including customers with learning disabilities.
	Currently customers are limited to 26 weeks of job coach support. From this autumn we will be making the programme more flexible to ensure that people who require further job coaching can access the service for longer. We anticipate this will be particularly helpful for customers with learning disabilities.
	In making the changes to job coaching rules for Access to Work, we will ensure that customers who would be better supported by other provisions such as WORKSTEP and its successor Work Choice (from October 2010) are referred to the most appropriate service for their needs.
	The Welfare Reform White Paper 'Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future' contained a commitment to double the Access to Work budget from £69 million to £138 million by 2013-14. This was a confirmation of the announcement originally made in the Welfare Reform Green Paper 'No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility'.
	In addition, Access to Work customers have been able to apply for support to participate in a Jobcentre Plus Work Trial since 1 April 2009. Work Trials give customers the opportunity to 'try out' work, and also builds employer confidence in their ability to do the job. Work Trials can last from a few days to six weeks and because there is a genuine job vacancy at the end they are a direct route into paid employment. This may be another route in to meaningful work for people with learning disabilities.

Departmental Advertising

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on which initiatives of  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies expenditure on advertising has been incurred in each of the last five years; how much was spent on each such initiative; and which such initiatives were advertised through the Central Office of Information.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 21 August 2009 (PQ 09 5337). The  Hansard reference is  Official Report, House of Lords, 5 October 2009, columns WA439-40.

Departmental Flexible Working

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what flexi-time arrangements were available to staff of her Department in each of the last five years; and how many staff participated in such arrangements in each year.

Jim Knight: The Department's policy is to offer staff access to flexible working hours where it fits in with business needs. Where access to a flexible working hours scheme is given, it means that with agreement staff can:
	Vary their times of arrival and departure from work
	Vary the length and timing of their lunch break
	Take time off under the terms of their flexi-time scheme
	Flexible working incorporates a wide variety of working patterns that staff can adopt and includes:
	Part-time-which means that staff work and are paid for less than full-time hours
	As part of a jobshare which usually involves two people each employed on a part-time basis, but working together to cover a full-time post
	Compressed hours by which staff work their total hours over a shorter period eg full weekly hours over four days rather than five
	Term-time working allowing staff to take unpaid leave during the school holidays
	A civil service jobshare website was launched in May 2009, to support those wishing to find jobshare partners.
	The Department does not centrally collect statistical data on the number of staff who participate in flexi-time arrangements. The cost of extracting this information in the format requested would be at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of procurement contracts  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies awarded to small businesses in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08, (iii) 2008-09 and (iv) 2009-10; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Information on the number and percentage of contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in a year is not maintained by the Department for Work and Pensions and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. As part of the DWP Commercial Strategy, the Department tracks centrally the number of SMEs the Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies does business with in each financial year and the amount it spends with each supplier. This process does not break these figures down into individual agency or NDPB. In 2008-09 the number of SMEs that had contracts with the Department was 9,212 and the total expenditure with them was £429.7 million or 11.2 per cent. of total DWP procurement expenditure in the year. The latest available figures for 2009-10 are £239.3 million or 11.4 per cent. of total procurement expenditure in the period April to end September 2009.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was re-allocated from her Department to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and its predecessor in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and for what reason in each case.

Jim Knight: holding answer on 16 September 2009
	The information is as follows:
	(a) The Department for Work and Pensions transferred £645,000 for 2008-09 to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and its predecessor, of which £330,000 was in respect of the extension of compensation to all sufferers of Mesothelioma, and £315,000 in respect of the Government Skills Strategy.
	(b) The Department for Work and Pensions transferred £975,000 for 2009-10 to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and its predecessor, of which £660,000 was in respect of the extension of compensation to all sufferers of Mesothelioma, and £315,000 in respect of the Government Skills Strategy.

Departmental Recruitment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data her Department holds on the level of diversity in its recruitment of employees in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The level of diversity among people who have joined the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Ethnic Minority 10.4 13.4 13.3 
			 White 89.6 86.6 86.7 
			 Disabled 7.1 12.8 9.1 
			 Non-disabled 92.9 87.2 90.9 
			 Women 60.7 59.7 60.4 
			 Men 39.3 40.3 39.6

Departmental Responsibilities: Young Person's Guarantee

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  who has responsibility for identifying the sectors in which opportunities will be created under the sectoral routeway element of the Young Person's Guarantee; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  where the pilots for the Adult Social Care Routeway for the sectoral routeway element of the Young Person's Guarantee will take place;
	(3)  what her estimate is of the number of training opportunities in each  (a) work sector and  (b) region that will be available in each of the next 18 months under the sectoral routeway element of the Young Person's Guarantee; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  which employers have offered training places under the sectoral routeway element of the Young Person's Guarantee; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Jobcentre Plus is working in partnership with the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils and individual Sector Skills Councils in order to identify the labour market sectors that have the potential to provide sectoral routeways.
	Care First Careers, a joint Department for Work and Pensions initiative with the Department for Health and the Devolved Administrations, is a sector specific initiative to help 50,000 young people into work in the adult social care sector. The scheme is being piloted in the following four Jobcentre Plus Districts:
	South West Wales;
	Cheshire, Warrington and Halton;
	South Tyne and Wear Valley; and
	Coventry and Warwickshire.
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has funding for approximately 37,000 training places in England to March 2011 and is contracting for these using a staged approach. The LSC is now nearing the conclusion of the commissioning process for the first 30,200 places which will be in the following sectors:
	Retail;
	Hospitality;
	Leisure;
	Travel and tourism;
	Security; and
	Facilities management.
	The distribution of training places within each sector and the take-up of provision each month will, depend on employer demand at local level.
	The Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales have also received consequential funding.
	The following table shows the regional distribution of the 30,200 places that have been commissioned so far.
	
		
			  Young Persons Guarantee: Sector Routeways (Routes into Work) Pre-Employment Training Volumes for the period from November 2009 to March 2011 
			  Region  Volume 
			 East Midlands 2,684 
			 East of England 2,546 
			 Greater London 3,755 
			 North East 2,456 
			 North West 5,325 
			 South East 2,932 
			 South West 2,019 
			 West Midlands 4,645 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 3,838 
			 Total regional allocations 30,200 
			  Sources:  1. Department for Work and Pensions.  2. Department for Business Innovation and Skills.  3. Learning and Skills Council. 
		
	
	Pre-employment training, where appropriate, will be delivered by training providers contracted by the Learning and Skills Council.

Departmental Training

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many external training courses were attended by staff of her Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost was of attendances at each such course.

Jim Knight: Information about on how many external training courses were attended by DWP staff and associated costs is not held centrally, as a consequence the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Employment

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people over the age of 50 years and claiming jobseeker's allowance have found employment through Jobcentre Plus in each  (a) region and  (b) Jobcentre Plus district in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many people over the age of 50 years and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance have found employment through Jobcentre Plus in each (a) region and (b) Jobcentre Plus district in each of the last five years. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus
	The available information is in the tables. The information relates to the number of people over 50 recorded as going into employment through the Job Outcome dataset. It excludes those going into self employment. The latest figures are to January 2009.
	
		
			  Number of people over 50 who have found employment through Jobcentre Plus by Jobcentre Plus Region 
			   2004-5  2005-6  2006-7  2007-8 ( 1) 2008-9 
			 East Midlands 6,960 6,280 6,910 6,380 6,530 
			 East of England 7,590 7,050 7,500 6,880 7,290 
			 London 5,990 5,820 6,080 5,860 5,770 
			 North East 5,390 5,210 5,100 4,680 4,620 
			 North West 9,780 9,170 10,180 9,320 9,160 
			 Scotland 9,940 8,370 8,260 7,190 6,820 
			 South East 9,390 8,970 9,800 8,980 9,080 
			 South West 6,650 6,310 7,040 6,440 6,360 
			 Wales 3,970 3,690 3,850 3,710 3,610 
			 West Midlands 8,540 8,340 8,610 8,120 7,500 
			 York and Humberside 8,190 7,300 8,030 7,400 7,070 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of people over 50 who have found employment through Jobcentre Plus by Jobcentre Plus District 
			   2004-5  2005-6  2006-7  2007-8 ( 1) 2008-9 
			 Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway and Inverclyde 1,440 1,220 1,10 1,050 930 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 2,050 1,910 2,010 1,810 2,010 
			 Birmingham and Solihull 1,610 1,630 1,670 1,480 1,420 
			 Black Country 2,070 1,980 2,120 1,940 1,640 
			 Cambridgeshire and Suffolk 1,990 1,840 1,900 1,870 1,930 
			 Central London 370 360 400 430 400 
			 Cheshire, Halton and Warrington 1,410 1,60 1,540 1,410 1,310 
			 City and East London 410 400 440 460 450 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire 1,330 1,200 1,290 1,290 1,220 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 2,990 2,810 2,890 ,2630 2,560 
			 Derbyshire 1,520 1,390 1,550 1,400 1,340 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,590 2,300 2,490 2,370 2,160 
			 Dorset and 1,380 1,500 1,640 1,620 1,570 
			 Edinburgh and Lothian and Borders 1,450 1,90 1,340 1,100 1,140 
			 Essex 2,110 1,980 2,050 1,880 2,030 
			 Forth Valley, Fife and Tayside 2,080 1,940 1,800 1,570 1,510 
			 Glasgow 880 790 750 740 710 
			 Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Swindon 1,560 1,470 1,680 1,410 1,540 
			 Greater Manchester Central 940 790 1,000 970 990 
			 Greater Manchester East and West 2,370 2,320 2,650 2,340 2,500 
			 Hampshire 2,290 2,110 2,390 2,130 2,110 
			 Highlands, Islands, Clyde Coast and Grampian 2,800 2,160 2,070 1,30 1,520 
			 Kent 2,200 2,170 2,100 2,040 1,950 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth 550 520 540 550 580 
			 Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire 1,90 1,060 1,090 1,010 1,020 
			 Leicestershire and Northamptonshire 2,650 2,400 2,740 2,530 2,720 
			 Lincolnshire and Rutland 1,180 1,030 1,070 1,090 1,100 
			 Merseyside 2,070 1,890 2,100 1,970 1,810 
			 Norfolk 1,430 1,320 1,540 1,320 1,330 
			 North and Mid Wales 1,080 1,030 1,090 1,030 1,100 
			 North and North East London 1,450 1,420 1,430 1,310 1,370 
			 North and East Yorkshire and the Humber 3,240 ,680 2,880 2,630 2,430 
			 Northumbria 1,870 1,790 1,630 1,640 1,670 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,610 1,460 1,540 1,360 1,370 
			 South East Wales 980 870 1,000 900 830 
			 South London 1,920 1,860 1,880 1,760 1,700 
			 South Tyne and Wear Valley 1,940 1,980 1,980 1,790 1,790 
			 South Wales Valleys 870 830 910 900 830 
			 South West Wales 1,040 960 860 880 840 
			 South Yorkshire 1,840 1,730 2,020 1,780 1,720 
			 Staffordshire 1,830 1,780 1,650 1,660 1,570 
			 Surrey and Sussex 2,720 2,550 2,920 2,540 2,780 
			 Tees Valley 1,580 1,440 1,490 1,240 1,160 
			 The Marches 1,700 1,760 1,880 1,750 1,660 
			 Thames Valley 2,170 2,150 2,390 2,270 2,240 
			 West London 1,290 1,280 1,400 1,350 1,270 
			 West Yorkshire 3,110 2,890 3,130 2,990 2,910 
			 West of England 1,130 1,040 1,230 1,040 1,080 
			 (1) Data incomplete for 20089.  Notes: 1. Job Outcomes counted until 1st January 2009. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  May 2009 Extract of the Job Outcomes Dataset

Employment Schemes

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how employers who are willing to provide Work Trials are identified; and what provision is made for external supervision of participants on such trials.

Jim Knight: Employers willing to provide Work Trials are identified through various channels. For example:
	personal contact made by Jobcentre Plus staff as part of routine marketing, vacancy submission and vacancy follow-up activity;
	national promotion, including via Backing Young Britain and the Jobcentre Plus and Directgov websites; and
	Jobcentre Plus customers promoting themselves as willing to undertake a Work Trial when applying for vacancies.
	Before an employer can participate in the Work Trial programme they must enter into a formal agreement with Jobcentre Plus, that covers the terms and conditions of the programme. The agreement has a requirement for the employer to provide each Work Trial participant with a named contact who will supervise their progress.

Employment Schemes

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work trial placements in each work sector have been available in each of the last 24 months.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.

Employment Schemes: Expenditure

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her most recent estimate is of the average cost to her Department of a Work Trial placement.

Jim Knight: In the first half of 2009-10 a total of £605,782 was spent on reimbursing expenses incurred by those undertaking a Work Trial. Over the same period of time 20,609 people started on Work Trials giving an approximate unit cost per person of £29.

Employment Schemes: Luton

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people she estimates will be involved in the Community Task Force programme in Luton in the next 12 months.

Jim Knight: Luton will be part of phase 2 roll-out of the community task force, procurement for which will begin later this year. Estimates of numbers of participants for the phase 2 contract areas are not yet available.
	Prior to phase 2 roll-out the work experience element of the young persons guarantee will be delivered through the existing new deal options.

Employment Support Allowance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to ensure that autistic people are able to access a third party advocate during employment support allowance applications.

Jonathan R Shaw: The process designed by Jobcentre Plus for claiming employment and support allowance encourages and fully supports the use of a third party advocate or customer representatives where someone with autism requires assistance with their claim.
	Most claims for employment and support allowance are made by phone and initial scripted questions are used to establish whether or not the caller is claiming benefit on behalf of the customer and has their consent. Where customers are likely to have difficulty claiming by phone, claims can be made by post or by face to face interview and with the assistance of relatives, friends or other representatives. Where someone is unable to manage their own affairs Jobcentre Plus can appoint a suitable person to make the claim.

Employment: Mentally Ill

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Sir Micheal Spicer),  Official Report, column 834W, on the Ethnic Employment Taskforce, whether her Department has commissioned any research in order to measure progress towards eliminating discrimination in employment against people who suffer or have suffered from mental ill-health; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In July 2009, The Office for Disability Issues commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies to undertake research examining organisations' responses to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the impact of the amendments made to the Act in 2005. This research is investigating how easy employers feel it is to employ people with a range of mental health conditions. The research is due to be completed by March 2010 and we will be comparing the findings with similar research undertaken in 2006 and 2003 to explore changes over time.

Future Jobs Fund

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate her Department has made of the number of people resident in unemployment hot spots and claiming employment support allowance, income support or incapacity benefit who will participate in the Future Jobs Fund in the next 12 months.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The Future Jobs Fund will fund up to 50,000 jobs for people who have been out of work long-term in unemployment hotspots. These jobs will be open to people on a range of benefits, and it is not possible to say in advance how many will be taken by people claiming employment and support allowance, income support or incapacity benefit. However, we will monitor progress closely during live running and in the evaluation.

Future Jobs Fund

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many jobs she expects to be created under the Future Jobs Fund in  (a) Luton,  (b) Bedfordshire and  (c) the East of England in the next 12 months; and what types of job she expects to be created;
	(2)  how much funding her Department has allocated to date to  (a) Luton,  (b) Bedfordshire and  (c) the East of England under the Future Jobs Fund; and how much funding she expects to allocate in the next 12 months.

Jim Knight: Three bidding rounds have been completed to date and information can only be provided on the jobs awarded under those rounds. It is not possible to estimate how many additional jobs may be awarded under future bidding rounds in the first 12 months of the project.
	Under the first two bidding rounds, 111 jobs will be created in Luton, 137 jobs will be created in Bedfordshire and 1,375 jobs will be created in East of England. These jobs will be created between October 2009 and April 2010.
	There were no successful bids for the East of England in the third bidding round which was announced on 14 October 2009.
	The types of jobs that will be created in East of England region under the first two bidding rounds are as follows:
	A variety of jobs working in museums;
	Energy/recycling officers; grounds and facilities maintenance and gardening;
	A free handyman service for vulnerable people;
	Social enterprise hotel for people with special needs and disabilities;
	Assistant Ranger to work alongside Countryside Ranger to enable the country park to have more volunteers of all abilities;
	Excavators to assist on archaeological excavations and finds processing in Suffolk;
	A variety of jobs in children's services, environmental services, transportation and housing;
	Adult Social Care, Green/Environmental jobs/Support Workers children/youth); and
	Market Intelligence Researcher, Administrator, Sales and Business Developer, Youth and Community Development Trainee, Landscaping Assistant, Administration and Community Assistant, Sustainability Assistant, Health Projects Assistant, Children Services Assistant, Woodland Operatives, Customer Relationship Assistant, Trainee Finance Officer, Marketing Assistant, Finance Assistant, Human Resources Assistant, Mentor/Mediator Assistant, Business Development Assistant, Recruitment Assistant.
	It is also not possible to provide details of the funding allocated to Luton or Bedfordshire. Due to the make-up of the awards in those areas, to reveal information on the number of jobs awarded together with the amount of funding awarded could enable a calculation to be made which would reveal commercially sensitive information about the bids involved.
	Across East of England region, £6,475,415 has been granted in the first two bidding rounds. It is not possible to estimate how much funding may be committed under future bidding rounds in the first 12 months of the project.

Future Jobs Fund

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the average cost of a job created under the Future Jobs Fund to date.

Jim Knight: As the number of jobs being created and costs vary between bids, the average unit cost per job will change with each funding round. The estimated average cost is expected to be between £6,300-£6,500 per job over the life of the fund.

Incapacity Benefit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children under the age of 16 lived in households where one or more individuals were in receipt of incapacity benefit in each  (a) region and  (b) constituency in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit: Norwich

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of  (a) incapacity benefit participated in work-related programmes in each year since 1997 and  (b) employment and support allowance have participated in work-related programmes since the scheme began in Norwich North constituency.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available.

Incapacity Benefit: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the working age population resident in Tamworth constituency received incapacity benefit in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: At February 2009, 5.2 per cent. of the working age population in Tamworth constituency were claiming incapacity benefit.
	 Notes:
	1. Percentage is rounded to one decimal place and includes incapacity benefit credits only claims.
	2. Working age is classified as 16-59 for women and 16-64 for men.
	3. The methodology used to produce the parliamentary constituency population estimates differs to the methodology used to produce the local authority mid-year estimates, and is subject to further review. In view of this ongoing work, these parliamentary constituency estimates are published as 'experimental statistics' and are under evaluation.
	4. Incapacity benefit was replaced in October 2008 (for new claimants only) by employment and support allowance.
	 Source s :
	1. Department for Work Pensions Information Directorate 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
	2. ONS Mid-term experimental population estimates for 2007.

Jobcentre Plus

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Jobcentre Plus offices have designated maximum workload capacities.

Jim Knight: holding answer on 16 September 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is the responsibility of the Acting Chief Executive, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.

Jobcentre Plus

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many Jobcentre Plus offices there are in each region;
	(2)  how many Jobcentre Plus offices closed in each region in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the former Minister of State and the letter from the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves, to the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening) on 21 April 2009,  Official Report, column 650-52W.
	In light of the current economic conditions and welfare reform changes planned for the next two to three years, a decision was taken late in 2008 to suspend the planned closure of 25 Jobcentres. Three small offices in London, where closure had been previously announced, subsequently closed in March and April 2009. No Jobcentres have closed since April 2009.

Jobcentre Plus: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) permanent, (b) temporary and  (c) agency staff have been employed in (i) benefit delivery centres and (ii) customer-facing jobcentres operated by Jobcentre Plus in Birmingham, Sparkbrook  Small Heath constituency in each year since 2004.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is the responsibility of the Acting Chief Executive, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many a) permanent b) temporary and c) agency staff have been employed in i) Benefit Delivery Centres and ii) customer-facing Jobcentres operated by Jobcentre Plus in Birmingham, Sparkbrook  Small Heath constituency in each year since 2004. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Information below national level for the period prior to 2006/07 is not available. The table below sets out data for each of the years 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09, broken down by permanent, fixed-term appointment and temporary staff. We do not employ agency staff. In addition, in the period since March, Sparkhill Jobcentre has seen further staffing increases in line with the increases across Jobcentre Plus more generally to deal with rising unemployment levels.
	
		
			  Staff employed by the Benefit Delivery Centre and Jobcentre Plus in Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency 
			   Ravenhurst Benefit Delivery Centre  Sparkhill Jobcentre Plus 
			  2006/07   
			 Permanent 234 69 
			 Fixed Term Appointment 14 5 
			 Temporary - - 
			 Total 248 74 
			
			  2007/08   
			 Permanent 271 79 
			 Fixed Term Appointment 10 7 
			 Temporary - 3 
			 Total 281 89 
			
			  2008/09   
			 Permanent 288 100 
			 Fixed Term Appointment 13 3 
			 Temporary - - 
			 Total 301 103 
			  Notes: 1. Headcount figures are quoted in full time equivalents using the Office for National Statistics definitions for counting headcount and details the position at March for each of the last three years. 2. The figures have been rounded to whole numbers.  Source: The data provided is taken from Dataview, an electronic extract drawn from payroll.

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff Central (Jenny Willott) of 7 July 2009,  Official Report, column 834W, on Jobcentre Plus: manpower, what the ratio of jobseeker's allowance claimants to members of frontline staff in Jobcentre Plus was in  (a) the UK,  (b) each region and  (c) each Jobcentre Plus district in each of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	The ratio of jobseeker's allowance claimants to staff varies between regions. The staff figures provided includes people deployed on work focussed and claim processing activity for a wider group than jobseeker's allowance claimants so staff numbers and therefore ratios are impacted by other factors. The contact centre directorate operates a virtual network and therefore aligning their work to geographic boundaries would be misleading. For instance, Wales has three large contact centres handling calls as part of the virtual network. On the same principle, the network of benefit delivery centres can, and do, move work around the country on a weekly basis to maximise speed of claim processing. Although benefit delivery centres are in the main linked to regions/countries, such work movement and some centralised functions mean there is not a clear distinction. For example, applications for national insurance numbers are processed in two centres, Glasgow and Isle of Wight, so staff numbers will be included in the Government office region for Scotland and south east respectively.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time a claimant received jobseeker's allowance in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency was in each of the last  (a) 12 months and  (b) five years.

Jim Knight: The information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Average length of time a claimant received jobseeker's allowance in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each of the last 12 months 
			   Median (Number of weeks) 
			 October 2008 7.7 
			 November 2008 7.1 
			 December 2008 9.9 
			 January 2009 7.8 
			 February 2009 7.1 
			 March 2009 9.2 
			 April 2009 10.7 
			 May 2009 10.5 
			 June 2009 8.9 
			 July 2009 11.4 
			 August 2009 12.0 
			 September 2009 11.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Average length of time a claimant received jobseeker's allowance in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each of the last five years 
			  October to September each year  Median (Number of weeks) 
			 2004-05 11.0 
			 2005-06 11.2 
			 2006-07 12.2 
			 2007-08 9.7 
			 2008-09 9.6 
			  Notes: 1. Data are published at: www.nomisweb.co.uk 2. Median, rather than arithmetic mean, is the preferred measure of 'average' for skewed distributions such as duration of claim.  Source: DWP WPLS 100 per cent. data.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Disabled

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants in England and Wales who are aged 18 to 24 years and who have disabilities have been claiming JSA for 12 months or longer;
	(2)  how many jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants in England and Wales who are aged 18 to 24 years and who are blind or partially-sighted have been claiming JSA for 12 months or longer.

Jim Knight: holding answer 9 September 2009
	The information is not available in the format requested.
	Information is available on the numbers of people who are aged between 18 and 24 years and are claiming jobseeker's allowance and disability living allowance.
	In February 2009, there were 780 people in England and Wales aged 18 to 24 years with disabilities who had been claiming jobseeker's allowance and disability living allowance for 12 months or longer.
	In February 2009, there were 30 people in England and Wales aged 18 to 24 years who were blind or partially-sighted and had been claiming jobseeker's allowance and disability living allowance for 12 months or longer.
	 Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	 Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Employment Support Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of jobseeker's allowance claimants in  (a) the UK and  (b) Scotland had previously applied unsuccessfully for employment support allowance.

Jim Knight: The information is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Sight Impaired

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many blind or partially sighted claimants of jobseeker's allowance are between the ages of 18 and 24 years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The information is not available in the format requested.
	Information is available on the numbers of people who are aged between 18 and 24 years, are blind or partially sighted and are claiming jobseeker's allowance and disability living allowance.
	In February 2009, there were 260 people in Great Britain aged 18 to 24 years who were blind or partially sighted and who were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and disability living allowance.
	 Note:
	Figure is rounded to the nearest 10.
	 Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample.

New Deal for Disabled People

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) registered on and  (b) obtained (i) employment and (ii) sustainable employment through the New Deal for Disabled People in each year since 2001.

Jim Knight: holding answer 16 September 2009
	Registrations for the new deal for disabled people are carried out through Job Brokers. The table shows the number of Job Broker registrations since 2001. One person can register more than once.
	The table also gives the recorded number of spells in work obtained through new deal for disabled people. This includes all people referred to a new deal provider, some of whom may not go on to register. The two sets of data are therefore not directly comparable. Data are not available to enable the number of participants who gained 'sustainable' employment to be identified.
	
		
			   Job Broker registrations (spells)( 1)  Jobs (spells)( 1, 2) 
			 2001 7,220 1,040 
			 2002 30,440 8,890 
			 2003 36,930 19,120 
			 2004 57,100 36,390 
			 2005 65,930 45,360 
			 2006 66,610 40,140 
			 2007 63,290 50,930 
			 2008 38,040 37,040 
			 2009 14,010 5,060 
			 Total 379,570 243,960 
			 (1 )A person may have more than one spell on new deal for disabled people or gain more than one job through new deal for disabled people. (2 )As figures include jobs obtained by people who did not proceed to registration, total jobs figures should not be used with total job broker registrations to obtain the proportion of registrants who obtained a job.  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. The new deal for disabled people was introduced in July 2001.  3. Latest data on Job Broker registrations are to May 2009. Latest data on Jobs are to February 2009.  4. Since the introduction of provider-led pathways to work, new deal for disabled people has been available only in Jobcentre Plus pathways to work districts. Phase 1 provider-led pathways to work was implemented in December 2007 and Phase 2 in April 2008. Provider-led pathways to work covers 60 per cent. of the country.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, information is available at: http://83.244.183.180/new_deals/nddp/live/tabtool.html.

New Deal Schemes: Disabled

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people resident in the London Borough of Bexley have found work through the New Deal in each year since 2005.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of job starts by disabled people in the London borough of Bexley, who have found work through the new deal for disabled people each year since 2005. Some individuals may have had more than one job start:
	
		
			  New deal for disabled people in the London borough of Bexley 
			   Number of job starts 
			 2005 60 
			 2006 80 
			 2007 90 
			 2008 50 
			 2009-February 2009 0 
			  Notes: 1. Latest data on jobs are to February 2009. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Pensioners

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the work force in Britain are aged over 60 years.

Jim Knight: 7.9 per cent. of the work force in Great Britain is aged 60 years and over.

Pensioners

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) male pensioners with national insurance contributions of between 30 and 43 years were born before 6 April 1945 and  (b) female pensioners with national insurance contributions of between 30 and 39 years were born before 6 April 1950.

Angela Eagle: The latest information available indicates that at the end of the financial year 2006-07 there were around 400,000 men and just over 600,000 women between state pension age and age 80 who had accrued between 30 and 43 qualifying years or 30 and 39 qualifying years respectively for basic state pension.
	However, individuals with less than 44 or 39 qualifying years can still qualify for a full basic state pension under the current arrangements.
	Entitlement to a basic state pension depends on a number of factors including the number of qualifying years accrued, home responsibilities protection and the spouse's contribution record.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures refer to people who are estimated to be resident in the UK in 2006-07.
	2. Detailed information is not available for people aged 80 and over due to archiving of records from the National Insurance Recording System.
	 Source:
	Lifetime Labour Market Database 2, 2006-07.

Social Security Benefits

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2009,  Official Report, column 695W, on social security benefits, what the monetary value of all benefit payments made to residents of  (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and  (b) England was in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Jim Knight: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Benefit expenditure 
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			 England 99,314 105,476 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 9,986 10,552 
			  Notes: 1. Does not cover all benefit expenditure, only the major benefits where the data are available on the DWP tabulation tool. This does however cover approximately 90 per cent. of all benefit expenditure 2. Tables containing benefit expenditure split by benefit, departmental strategic objective, local authority and parliamentary constituency can be found at the following URL: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp 3. Figures rounded to nearest million  Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting Data

Social Security Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people affected by a marginal withdrawal of benefit rate of more than  (a) 90 per cent.,  (b) 70 per cent. and  (c) 50 per cent. in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government publish estimates for the numbers of people facing high marginal deduction rates (MDRs), which include tax payments as well as benefit withdrawal. These figures are published in Budget and Pre-Budget Report documents.
	Figures provided in Budget 2009 showed that the estimated number of people affected by an MDR of greater than:
	90 per cent. was 60,000 (down from 130,000 before Budget 1998),
	70 per cent. was estimated at 305,000 (down from 740,000 before Budget 1998).
	No estimate has been made for those affected by an MDR of greater than 50 per cent.

Social Security Benefits: Fife

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance she is making available to  (a) pensioners,  (b) benefit recipients and  (c) other vulnerable individuals living in North East Fife constituency in meeting the costs of their fuel needs; and what steps she is taking to ensure that people who are not in receipt of a state pension or other benefit administered by her Department are aware of the help available to them.

Angela Eagle: Pensioners in North East Fife, along with other individuals who have reached age 60, will receive a winter fuel payment to help meet the cost of their winter fuel needs. Households with those aged 60-79 receive £250 while those households with someone aged 80 or over receive £400.
	Cold weather payments of £25 a week are paid to those on pension credit in periods of very cold weather. Recipients of other income-related benefits may also be entitled if they have a pensioner or disability premium included in their benefit, or they have a child who is either disabled or under the age of five in the family.
	Disabled people can face extra costs all year round. Benefits such as disability living allowance provide additional weekly payments and are related to the individual's circumstances.
	The Scottish Government's energy assistance package provides support to pensioners by offering standard energy efficiency measures to older pensioner households, and a package of enhanced measures to pensioners who live in energy inefficient homes. It also provides free central heating systems to all pensioners who have never had one installed in their home.
	The Department for Work and Pensions also works closely with other Government Departments on the Keep Warm Keep Well campaign, which is aimed at vulnerable households in England, Scotland and Wales and gives information on the health benefits of keeping warm in winter, and details of the grants and benefits available.
	We continue to strive to ensure that people are aware of, and take up their entitlements through, initiatives such as: data matching benefits; home visits; advertising and media campaigns; a simple and straightforward claim process and working with partner organisations.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent advertising the Government's crackdown on benefit cheats  (a) in total and  (b) in airline magazines in 2009.

Jim Knight: holding answer 16 September 2009
	In 2008-09, the total advertising expenditure for the 'We're Closing In' Targeting Benefit Thieves campaign was £4,967,098.
	Between August and October 2009, the total expenditure on 'abroad fraud' communications in airline magazines was £50,604.
	The £5 million invested in the campaign represents less than 0.004 per cent. of the benefit bill. We cannot determine exactly how much fraud has been prevented as a direct result of the campaign. However, it is worth noting that in 2000-01, before we ran fraud campaigns, the proportion of money lost to benefit fraud was 2 per cent. The most recent figures for 2008-09 show that it is now 0.6 per cent.

State Retirement Pensions

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans her Department has for future increases in the level of the state pension.

Angela Eagle: We have given a commitment to increase the basic state pension by 2.5 per cent. or the level of the September Retail Prices Index, whichever is higher.
	We are committed to introduce earnings uprating of the basic state pension in 2012-13, subject to affordability and the fiscal position, or in any event by the end of the next Parliament at the latest.
	The Government would inform Parliament of proposed benefit levels and tax thresholds for 2010-11 at the pre-Budget report.

Training

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 63W, on Jobcentre Plus: training, in which training modules or topics new recruits are trained after they have started in post; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is the responsibility of the acting chief executive, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves;
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking in which training modules or topics new recruits are trained after they have started in post. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	There is a comprehensive portfolio of induction/foundation events and specific skills and technical learning that new recruits receive before they take up their positions. This includes the 60 hours of induction/foundation learning that all new recruits receive and subsequent job specific learning; for example, all Personal Advisers will receive 130 hours of training, with Disability Benefit Advisers (DEA) receiving a further 59 hours of learning specific to the DEA role.
	Once in post all Jobcentre Plus staff are subject to the Department for Work and Pensions People Performance process. As part of this process all Jobcentre Plus staff will have a minimum of four performance reviews with their line manager during the year. As part of these discussions performance will be evaluated against objectives and the relevant competency framework. A key outcome from these discussions is the agreement of a development plan for every member of staff. These will detail the agreed learning needs, identified solutions and timescales for further review. The process is designed to encourage and support the continuous development of every individual and to ensure that their knowledge and skills are continuously evaluated against current and future business needs.
	Any further specific learning that someone receives (beyond their induction and initial job specific training) is dependent upon their job role, their progress, any role change and future business change.
	To support learning needs, Jobcentre Plus staff have access to over 1070 job-specific learning modules in total. In addition, they have access to the Department for Work and Pensions Leadership and Management journey events. These provide staff with generic leadership and management skills and in some cases access to accreditation. Our staff are encouraged to use a wide range of learning solutions in addition to products such as coaching; for example, Jobcentre staff are encouraged to visit local providers to ensure they are able to confidently talk to our customers about the range of support that we are able to offer to them. All business changes are reviewed to identify the learning that staff will require to deliver them successfully, update learning products accordingly and develop new learning products where required.

JUSTICE

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to implement the efficiency recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme relating to his Department; and what training is available to  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department in respect of the delivery of value for money savings.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice has active programmes on all of the OEP areas, though these are at different levels of development. Many of these initiatives aim to realise economies of scale from the functions the MOJ inherited on its creation. For example:
	We are now in the final stages of bringing the three main ICT organisations together to form a single ICT function.
	The MOJ has agreed an estates strategy to rationalise the estate it inherited on its creation and deliver significant financial, sustainability and effectiveness gains.
	A detailed strategy for the MOJ procurement function called Procurement Success has been developed and signed off by our Corporate Management Board.
	A new programme of activity designed to achieve the MOJ wide shared service vision for finance and human resources transactional services is currently under consideration.
	The Department is also participating in HM Treasury led back office benchmarking exercises and engaging with Government heads of profession in implementing other recommendations.
	Value for money features in several of the Department's internal financial training guides for Ministers and staff alike. Money for Ministers-An Introduction to Finance in the Ministry of Justice for Ministers-for example, is aimed at helping Ministers through the finance framework MOJ operates to achieve value for money, staying within the fiscal rules, and efficient, effective service delivery, and it offers contacts for further help and/or one-to-one tuition.
	For staff, a monthly programme of workshops Improving Financial Management in MOJ has a specific section on looking at value for money and how to achieve it. Staff are able to get access to an e-learning module on the Department's intranet and developed by the National School for Government called Finance Skills For All which covers topics such as why value for money is a better measure in the public sector then profitability. More generally, the Department has embarked on a programme of bottom up change (LEAN), supported by training, aimed at reducing or eliminating waste within a business system or process of an organisation, so that staff can use their time efficiently, concentrating on the work that adds value to their business.

Discrimination: Age

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many complaints of age discrimination were made to the Employment Tribunal Service in January to October 2009;
	(2)  how many complaints of discrimination on the grounds of alcohol-related problems were made to the Employment Tribunal Service in the period January to October 2009;
	(3)  how many complaints of discrimination on the grounds of drug addiction were made to the Employment Tribunal Service in the period January to October 2009;
	(4)  how many complaints of discrimination on the grounds of mental health problems were made to the Employment Tribunal Service in the period January to October 2009.

Bridget Prentice: The Employment Tribunal accepted 4,271 age discrimination claims in the period January to September 2009. Data for October 2009 are not yet available.
	There were 5,566 disability discrimination claims accepted by the Employment Tribunal in the period January to September 2009.
	Claims for an impairment arising from drug or alcohol addiction related issues may be included within the Disability Discrimination category but they are not broken down separately. Claims for mental health related issues are included within the Disability Discrimination category but are not broken down separately.

Henry VIII Clauses: Legislation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Henry VIII powers have been enacted in primary legislation in the present Session of Parliament.

Michael Wills: The Government do not routinely collect or hold information about the number of Henry VIII provisions. An exercise is being conducted in order to answer this question which will take some time. The required information is being collated and I hope to write to the hon. Member by the end of November. A copy will be placed in the House Library.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) originally estimated cost and  (b) actual cost was of the research recently commissioned by the Judicial Appointments Commission from the British Market Research Bureau on barriers to application to the judiciary.

Jack Straw: The cost of the research, which was competitively tendered, was £83,556 and the original estimate was £89,300. Both figures are inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
	The JAC has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to increase diversity in the range of persons available for selection for judicial appointment.
	The main research aims were to:
	Investigate perceived barriers which may be preventing applications
	How removal of barriers would increase applications
	How barriers affected different groups.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of applications to the Judicial Appointments Commission were from  (a) male,  (b) female and  (c) black and minority ethnic candidates in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: The figures in the table relate to applications to the Judicial Appointments Commission for vacancies for the High Court and below.
	
		
			  Applications 
			   Percentage  Number 
			  2006-07   
			 Male 59 348 
			 Female 41 238 
			 BME 9 50 
			
			  2007-08   
			 Male 65 1,644 
			 Female 35 891 
			 BME 13 328 
			
			  2008-09   
			 Male 69 2,434 
			 Female 31 1,080 
			 BME 12 430 
		
	
	The year 2006-07 is regarded as a transitional period as far as the published data are concerned because during that period the former Department for Constitutional Affairs completed a number of exercises that were launched before the JAC was created in April 2006.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms are used  (a) for him to be informed about and  (b) to monitor the work of the Judicial Appointments Commission.

Jack Straw: The mechanisms used to inform and monitor the work of the Judicial Appointments Commission are set out in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and the Framework Document that determines the relationship between the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Appointments Commission. They include:
	Approving the JAC's strategic objectives and targets together with the policy and performance framework in which the JAC will operate;
	Approving the amount of grant in aid that the JAC receives;
	Laying the JAC's Annual Report before Parliament and;
	Considering and making decisions on JAC selections for judicial appointment.
	A copy of the Framework Document can be found on the Commission's website at:
	http://www.judicialappointments.gov.uk
	I meet Baroness Prashar, Chairman of the Commission, and my senior officials from time to time to discuss the work of the Judicial Appointments Commission.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times he has met the Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: I met the chairman four times in 2007, thrice in 2008, and thrice to date in 2009.

Judiciary

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage mark is needed to pass the written tests which are part of the application process for new judicial posts; and what the pass rate was for people who sat tests in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: The Qualifying Test is designed as a sift mechanism to objectively identify a shortlist of candidates to be called to the selection day. There is no 'pass mark' as such. The number of candidates to be invited to the selection day is determined by reference to the number of posts available. It is usual practice to invite to interview a ratio of between two to three candidates per post with the highest-scoring candidates making up the number that proceed to the selection day stage.

National Archives: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what financial governance arrangements have been in place at the National Archives for the last three years; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of such arrangements.

Michael Wills: For the last three years, The National Archives has been subject to the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. This requires The National Archives to prepare resource accounts for each financial year, in conformity with an HM Treasury direction, detailing the resources acquired, held, or disposed of during the year, and the use of resources by The National Archives during the year. The resource accounts are prepared on an accruals basis and must give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of The National Archives, the net resource outturn, resources applied to objectives, recognised gains and losses and cash flows for the financial year.
	Cash requirements are forecast on a monthly basis, in advance, and The National Archives liaises with HM Treasury to enable these funds to be made available through the Office of HM Paymaster General (OPG), which is The National Archives' main banking facility. Management information is reported to the Executive Team monthly and all budget holders are subjected to at least a quarterly review of all of their costs and revenue.
	HM Treasury has appointed Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive and the Permanent Head of the Department, as Accounting Officer of The National Archives with responsibility for preparing The National Archives' accounts and for transmitting them to the Comptroller and Auditor General. The financial statements of The National Archives for the last three years have been audited by the National Audit Office on behalf of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Accounting Officer is also required to produce an annual Statement of Internal Control, which must taken into account actions highlighted by both the Management Board (which contains four non-executive directors) and the Audit Committee, which is chaired by a non-executive director. The Audit Committee is responsible for providing advice and assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of internal control and risk management. It also oversees internal and external audit arrangements, which cover all areas of The National Archives' work, including both financial and non-financial systems. The Comptroller and Auditor General is required to produce a certificate and report to the House of Commons on the financial statements of The National Archives and this has been issued for the past three years with no comment. Therefore, I am assured on an annual basis that The National Archives' financial governance arrangements continue to meet all expected requirements.

National Archives: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many new staff at pay bands  (a) G and  (b) H have been appointed at the National Archives in the last three years.

Michael Wills: As at October 2006, The National Archives employed 34 staff at grade G and 15 at grade H, five of which joined in 2006 when The National Archives merged with the Office of Public Sector Information. In October 2007 The National Archives employed 46 staff at grade G and 17 staff at grade H. This increase from 2006 was as a direct result of a drive across Government to professionalise core services in IT, finance and HR. 11 of the new staff were professionally qualified in these areas. In October 2008 there were 51 staff at grade G and 15 staff at grade H, one of which joined when the Statute Law Database became part of The National Archives and seven of which were new posts, funded externally. As of October 2009 the figure stands at 54 staff at grade G and 16 staff at grade H.
	The organisation is at the final stages of completing a cost saving exercise which involves reducing the number of management and administration posts at G and H grade by four. This will bring the net total of G and H grades to 66 in 2010 of which seven will continue to be externally funded.

National Archives: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) directors of finance and  (b) heads of finance there have been at the National Archives in each of the last three years.

Michael Wills: As at October 2006, The National Archives employed a permanent Director of Finance and permanent Head of Finance. The same members of staff were in post in October 2008, leaving in January 2009 and May 2009 respectively. After both post holders departed, the roles were restructured to reflect the changing needs of the organisation, and the posts filled temporarily on an interim basis. The National Archives therefore currently employs an Interim Director of Finance and an Interim Head of Finance. It is in the process of recruiting a permanent Director of Finance. Following the review of the finance department, the Head of Finance post has been split into two roles-one focusing on financial accounts and the other on management accounts. One of these posts has now been filled permanently and the other is on the process of being filled permanently.

Prison: Visits

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison visits there have been in each of the last five years; and what the average number of visits per prisoner was in each such year.

Jack Straw: Statistics on the number of social visits taken by prisoners are not centrally collated. However, all prisoners have a statutory entitlement to domestic or social visits. Unconvicted prisoners are entitled to three social visits a week; convicted prisoners are entitled to receive a social visit on reception and thereafter one every two weeks. All social visits should last at least one hour. Under guidance issued by the National Offender Management Service prisoners should have the opportunity for some of these visits to take place at weekends. In addition some prisons also provide opportunities for family visits which focus on improving the relationship between the imprisoned parent and their children.

Prisoners Release: Domestic Violence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to instigate risk assessments and home circumstance reports prior to release on End of Custody Licence of any offender whose offence involved domestic violence.

Jack Straw: All prisoners released on ECL would have to have been released at their statutory release date a maximum of 18 days' later. For this reason, ECL operates according to precise fixed criteria: if prisoners meet the set criteria they are released on ECL. Prisoners serving a sentence for a violent offence (such as conspiracy to murder, manslaughter, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, unlawful wounding, cruelty to children) are excluded.
	Prison Service Instruction 42/2007 requires that prisons should take appropriate action in response to any information they have received that a prisoner who is eligible for release on ECL poses a risk of domestic violence or to a specific victim on release as follows:
	All release arrangements that would otherwise have taken place 18 days later are brought forward to the ECL release date. As with any release, if the prison has information that indicates a risk to a victim, that information should be provided to the police and, where appropriate, submitted to the Multi Agency Pubic Protection Panel, in line with routine risk management arrangements.
	Where the prison has information that indicates the prisoner has given the address of his victim as his release address, this should be flagged up to the local police so that measures to address the risk can be put in place.
	Prison Governors will not release those prisoners who will be subject to supervision on release to an address prohibited by their offender manager in the supervision licence. In such cases ECL release will only take place if a suitable alternative address is provided. Where prisoners are subject to supervision on release, any conditions included on the normal supervision licence must also be included on the ECL licence.
	There are no current plans to make any changes to the scheme. When prison population concerns allow, the scheme will be ended.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many offenders have been  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted of manslaughter committed while on End of Custody Licence since 29 June 2007;
	(2)  in which courts each offender convicted of committing murder while on End of Custody Licence was sentenced in the last three years.

Jack Straw: Determinate sentenced prisoners fulfilling the relevant conditions may be released into the community up to 18 days earlier than the halfway point of their sentence under the End of Custody Licence (ECL) scheme. Indeterminate sentenced prisoners are not eligible for ECL. Data on ECL releases, recalls and alleged re-offending is published every month on the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm
	Of those prisoners who were released on ECL and were subsequently charged with and convicted of manslaughter, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has been notified in line with Serious Further Offences (SFO) procedures that there has been one case where an offender who was charged with manslaughter. However, this offender subsequently entered a guilty plea to murder and therefore was convicted of murder.
	In total, there have been two offenders released on ECL convicted of murder since commencement of the scheme on 29 June 2007. These two offenders were sentenced in Leeds Crown Court and the Royal Courts of Justice to life sentences in 2007 and 2009, respectively.
	Of those released on ECL since the scheme began, NOMS has been notified that about 3 per cent. have been recalled to custody. Fewer than 2 per cent. have been notified to NOMS as having allegedly offended during the ECL period.

Prisoners Transfers: Libya

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice to what extent consideration of the effect on commercial contracts for oil and gas were taken into account in negotiations between the Government and Libya on the prisoner transfer agreement signed in November 2008.

Jack Straw: The prisoner transfer agreement between the United Kingdom and Libya was one of four agreements in the field of judicial cooperation signed by the United Kingdom and Libya on 17 November 2008. Signature of these agreements is a tangible sign of the normalisation of the relationship between Libya and the United Kingdom and between Libya and the wider international community following its renunciation of international terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
	In negotiating the prisoner transfer agreement account was taken of the impact of the agreement across a range of issues, including trade. However, there was no deal between the UK and Libya to secure the transfer of any individual in return for commercial contracts, or otherwise.

Prisoners: Compensation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any compensation has been paid to Shane Gormally, formerly held in HM Prison Hull; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: There is no central record of any civil litigation claim being brought against the Prison Service by Mr. Gormally, and therefore, no central record of any compensation being paid to him.

Prisoners: Drugs

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners received treatment for alcohol addiction in the last five years.

Jack Straw: Epidemiological studies show that around 8 per cent. of females and 7 per cent. of males coming into prison are dependent on alcohol for which clinical detoxification, the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) and Alcoholics Anonymous/Peer Support are key interventions available in prison.
	Alcohol treatment and rehabilitation services for those with an alcohol dependency in prisons are in the main provided within the wider drug treatment framework. The proportion of prisoners accessing alcohol treatment services is at present generally not disaggregated. However, I am asking for advice on the collective of better data overall on alcohol dependency, abuse and treatment of those in custody.
	The needs of prisoners with an alcohol problem are important. A great deal of good work is undertaken in prisons, with a range of interventions in place to support those with an alcohol problem. These vary across prisons but can include:
	clinical services-alcohol detoxification, available in all prisons that have implemented the clinical elements of the IDTS;
	where alcohol is part of a wider substance misuse problem, the full range of drug interventions are available;
	alcohol awareness courses;
	an Alcohol information pack and awareness video is available for all prisoners and an alcohol leaflet will shortly be available;
	Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) run groups in around 67 per cent. of prisons;
	some offending behaviour programmes address the underlying factors which occur in alcohol related crime;
	for those prisons involved in the roll-out of the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS), a 90 minute alcohol awareness session is available, this will be available in all prisons in 2009.
	a 12-step accredited alcohol programme is being run at HMP Bullingdon and an accredited Alcohol Related Violence programme based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is being run at HMP Chelmsford with three further sites planned to be running later in the year; and
	the young persons substance misuse service for 16-18 year old prisoners (has a particular focus on alcohol).

Prisons

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions each London prison has declared a lock-out in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: The table shows the number of prisoners the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) records as being 'locked-out' of prison between October 2008 and September 2009.
	NOMS attributes the increase in numbers during February 2009 to the severe snowfall in London on 2 February, which disrupted prisoner escorts to and from courts. In the majority of cases 'lockouts' occurred as a result of late court sittings and the contractor then not being able to return prisoners by prison closing time.
	
		
			   HMP  
			   Belmarsh  Brixton  Feltham A  Feltham B  Holloway  Latchmere House  Pentonville  Wandsworth  Wormwoo d Scrubs  Total 
			 October 2008 - - - - - - 4 - 1 5 
			 November 2008 - - - - - - - - - 0 
			 December 2008 - - - - - - - - - 0 
			 January 2009 - - - - - - - - - 0 
			 February 2009 5 3 1 4 - - 4 3 14 34 
			 March 2009 - - - - - - - - - 0 
			 April 2009 - - - - - - - - - 0 
			 May 2009 - - - - - - - 1 - 1 
			 June 2009 - - - - - - - - 1 1 
			 July 2009 - - - - - - - 4 1 5 
			 August 2009 - - - - - - - - - 0 
			 September 2009 - - 1 - - - - - - 1 
			 Total 5 3 1 5 0 0 8 8 17 47

Prisons: Drugs

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much alcohol was detected in prisons in the last five years.

Jack Straw: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has in place a strategy to reduce supply and demand for alcohol with a comprehensive range of security measures and searching techniques to detect items of contraband including alcohol, and to prevent smuggling into establishments. However, NOMS does not centrally record centrally how much alcohol is detected in prisons. In the light of the hon. and Learned Member's question I have asked NOMS senior officials to let me have advice on putting a system for the central collection of such data.

Prisons: Employment

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison workshops have  (a) opened,  (b) closed and  (c) changed function in each of the last seven years.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number of prison industrial workshops(1) that opened, closed or changed function or industry type since 2002.
	(1) Including industrial laundries but excluding purely vocational training courses e.g. plumbing, bricklaying, painting and decorating, etc.
	
		
			  Prison industry workshops 
			  Number 
			   Opened  Closed  Changed function/industry type 
			 2002 11 0 3 
			 2003 2 0 3 
			 2004 7 1 7 
			 2005 4 0 12 
			 2006 4 2 16 
			 2007 9 2 15 
			 2008 2 1 10 
			 2009(1) 12 4 22 
			 (1) Number to October 2009. In 2009, the policy was extended to include workshops operated on behalf of registered charities (e.g. Braille). 
		
	
	Central records are not complete before 2004 as there was no requirement for public prison establishments to refer cases, for workshop closures or changes to industry type, to National Offender Management Service (NOMS) headquarters for approval. Those shown for 2002 and 2003 above are predominantly for Prison Information and Communication Technology Academies only.
	Instructions were introduced in 2004 that require NOMS headquarters approval to be obtained for public prison establishments to ensure that national strategic plans for employment and service delivery are consistently maintained.

Prisons: Manpower

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of service in a single post of a serving prison governor is.

Maria Eagle: The average length of time in post for current in charge governors of prisons is 2.4 years.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what definition of overcrowded accommodation his Department uses in respect of prisons; and what percentage of prisoners in England and Wales have been held in overcrowded accommodation in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The definition of overcrowding in prisons is the total number of prisoners who, at unlock on the last day of the month, are held in a cell, cubicle or room where the number of occupants exceeds the uncrowded capacity of the cell, cubicle or room. This includes the number of prisoners held two to a single cell, three prisoners in a cell designed for two and any prisoners held overcrowded in larger cells or dormitories. If an establishment's population exceeds its total in-use CNA at the end of the month then this constitutes overcrowding.
	The percentage of prisoners in England and Wales held in overcrowded accommodation in each of the last five years is:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2004-05 24.3 
			 2005-06 24.0 
			 2006-07 24.6 
			 2007-08 25.3 
			 2008-09 24.7

Prisons: Security

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of each type of instances of disorder were recorded in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The data in the following table show the number of disturbance-related incidents recorded on the Prison Service Incident Reporting System in prisons in England and Wales for the last three financial years 2006-07 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  Breakdown of disturbance-related incidents in prisons in England and Wales 2006-07  to  2008-09 
			   Barricade  Concerted indiscipline active  Concerted indiscipline passive  Hostage  Incidents at height( 1) 
			 2006-07 460 68 67 25 199 
			 2007-08 521 67 51 38 242 
			 2008-09 524 69 58 25 344 
			 (1) An incident at height is defined as any incident taking place over three feet from ground level and includes where prisoners have gained access to safety netting.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 
		
	
	Although barricades and incidents at height have increased, overall trends in other incidents relating to disorder such as concerted indiscipline and hostage taking, have remained stable. The majority of disorder-related incidents are of a minor nature and are resolved quickly and professionally by trained staff thereby preventing escalation of the incident.

Remand in Custody: Prison Sentences

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many adults usually resident in the North Wales Police force area are  (a) remanded in custody and  (b) serving a custodial sentence.

Maria Eagle: As of 8 May 2009 there were 580 adults serving a custodial sentence and 78 adults who were either held on remand or were convicted awaiting sentence that have a home address in the North Wales police force area.
	These figures include male and female prisoners but do not include young offenders and juveniles. All prisoners are asked for details of their home address on first reception to prison and on discharge from prison. About 60 per cent. of prisoners are shown to have given a recognised address. If no address is given, various proxies are used to determine home location, including next-of-kin address and committal court address.

Supreme Court: Operating Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the estimated running costs of the new Supreme Court are for the 2010-11.

Jack Straw: The annual running costs of the Supreme Court are expected to be £13.5 million. In a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 15 July 2009, it was announced that the anticipated running costs for the UK Supreme Court would be £12.3 million. At present Her Majesty's Court Service pays £1.2 million pension and national insurance contributions with respect to the Law Lords. For transparency this was transferred to the UK Supreme Court from 1 October. This does not represent any additional cost to the public purse. For the first year we have provided an additional £300,000 to cover transitional set-up costs, this is being met from within existing resources. The costs of some aspects of the court's operation, including security, remain to be finalised and so the anticipated running costs will continue to be refined and reviewed.

Supreme Court: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employees of the new Supreme Court earn more than  (a) £50,000,  (b) £75,000 and  (c) £100,000 a year.

Jack Straw: The Supreme Court has 39 employees. Of those 39 employees, four earn between £50,000 and £75,000, one earns between £75,000 and £100,000, and one earns more than £100,000.

Swine Flu

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of his Department's staff are recorded as having been diagnosed with swine influenza.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice sick absence reporting process does not have a category dedicated to recording swine influenza as a reason for absence. The Ministry reports absence against the Cabinet Office sick absence reasons. Any absence due to swine flu is recorded in the category of 'Respiratory System (including colds)'.
	In the 12 months from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009, which are the latest published sick absence statistics, 'respiratory illness' was a reason for absence in respect of 79,309 days of sick absence. 68 per cent. of those days were classed as long-term sickness. In the same period of time 87,042 individual members of staff were employed by the Ministry (which includes those who left employment in this period).

Transgendered Prisoners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of transgendered prisoners in England and Wales;
	(2)  how many  (a) draft and  (b) final prison service instructions or orders concerning transgendered prisoners have been published since 1997;
	(3)  what recent consideration he has given to the adequacy of prison accommodation provided for transgendered prisoners.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	Neither the Department of Health nor the Ministry of Justice collect information on the number of transgender prisoners.
	The Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA) gives a person in possession of or applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate the right to privacy. However, not all transsexual or transgender prisoners will be covered by a GRA and it does not necessarily afford that person absolute anonymity. There may be certain situations where it may be required to prove a link between their current legal gender and their former gender, for example, to prevent further offences. This information is also not available centrally.
	No Prison Service Instruction or Order (PSI/PSO) concerning transgender prisoners have been published since 1997.
	A draft PSO on guidelines for the management, treatment and care of prisoners who have or have had gender dysphoria is undergoing revision following the ruling of a recent Judicial Review in which the claimant, a pre-operative transgender prisoner, applied for Judicial Review of a decision of the defendant Secretary of State for Justice refusing to transfer her from a male prison to a female prison. The application was accepted and the outcome ruled in favour of the claimant.
	There is no specific policy guidance regarding accommodation for transgender prisoners.
	Officials at the Department and the National Offender Management Service are currently considering accommodation issues as part of the draft Prison Service Order on guidelines for the management, treatment and care of prisoners who have or have had gender dysphoria.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies Enterprise Trust

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what dates in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009 officials from his Department met representatives of the Academies Enterprise Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Departmental officials meet with academy sponsors on a regular basis. We do not hold central records of the date of these meetings.

Children: Social Services

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department's Freedom of Information liaison officer is routinely involved in the process of preparing answers to parliamentary questions; and whether that officer was consulted in preparing the answer of 22 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 1664-67W, on children: social services.

Diana Johnson: The Department involves officials from particular disciplines in providing professional advice to Ministers as appropriate. It does not routinely disclose who provides that professional advice.

Children: Social Services

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 1664-67W, on children: social services, whether the information on date of death by month has been released in response to a request made to  (a) his Department and  (b) local authorities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on date of death by month has not been released in response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to the Department. Any requests made to local authorities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 will be answered locally and the Department would not expect to be made aware of such requests or responses.

Education: Miscarriages of Justice

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of false allegations made about education staff in their work in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Department provides guidance to local authorities and schools on dealing with allegations against teachers and other staff in Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education.
	Under these arrangements all allegations that meet the relevant criteria are reported locally. All local authorities have a senior officer with responsibility for keeping records and provide data to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) for their use as part of their evaluation and monitoring role. As data are collected locally the Department does not collect this information or make estimates centrally.

Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation has received from his Department in each of the last three years.

Diana Johnson: The Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation has not received any direct funding from this Department.

Schools: Counselling

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many  (a) primary school pupils and  (b) secondary school pupils in England have access to a professional counsellor in their school; and by what mechanism such provision is funded;
	(2)  how much was spent on counselling in schools in  (a) 2003-07 and  (b) 2008.

Vernon Coaker: The school funding system provides a sum per pupil in a local authority for it to distribute for all its education responsibilities including schools. Once delegated to a school, it is for the school governors to decide upon the use of the delegated budget to meet the school's priorities, which may include purchasing the services of a counsellor.
	We do not collect information on the use of school funding in sufficient detail to capture information about which schools are providing counselling services and what is spent on these services. We do not collect information on which schools employ professional counsellors.
	We are committed to improving the emotional and mental health of children and young people and to help them develop social and emotional skills, improve self-esteem and self-control, enabling them to develop good relationships and to promote their resilience, so they can adapt to change and cope with difficult circumstances. This may include the use of services such as counselling.
	Access to counselling services has been provided locally through a number of DCSF initiatives developed in recent years. Counselling services may be provided through schools (including Pupil Referral Units) working with other agencies such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, social care and or third sector organisations. For pupils with behaviour related difficulties, counselling support may be provided through local Behaviour and Education Support Teams and Learning Support Units.
	Supporting the psychological well being and mental health of pupils is a key component of whole school programmes such as the Healthy Schools Programme and the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme. Such programmes are intended for pupils generally and may need to be supplemented by more specialist support for certain pupils.
	The Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future White Paper, published in June, stated that in order that every young person in secondary school gets the help they need to progress in learning and has a source of personal support, we will make sure that each one has a Personal Tutor who knows them well and who will support them in planning their learning, in making choices and through difficult times.
	The Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme, funded by £60 million between 2008-2011, builds on the successful social and emotional aspects of learning programme (SEAL) for those pupils who need additional support. Some of the schools involved in the programme have chosen to offer counselling-based approaches as part of their package therapeutic interventions to children at risk of developing mental health problems.

Specialised Diplomas

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of implementation of the diploma programme.

Iain Wright: We have spent £172.3 million on diplomas during the last four years. We are continuing to provide additional funding to support diploma delivery and capacity building over the rest of the current Spending Review years; in the current financial year we are making an additional £151.5 million available to support the diploma programme and have an estimated spend of £198.3 million for 2010-11.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much expenditure under each budget heading his Department has incurred on the introduction of diploma courses and qualifications in each year since 2005;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on diplomas in each of the next three years; and under what budgetary headings such expenditure is expected to be incurred.

Iain Wright: Expenditure for 2005-06 to 2008-09 on diplomas was made under the following categories:
	development costs for diploma qualifications; for 2008-09 onwards it also includes costs of Diploma Awarding;
	preparation funding to support consortia to deliver diplomas;
	funding for local delivery and capacity building, including the diploma specific grant; from 2008-09 onwards it includes the diploma formula grant which supports additional costs of early delivery of diplomas at KS4;
	work force development to prepare the work force for the delivery of diplomas; and
	supporting transport arrangements in the most rural areas.
	Total spend on diploma qualifications in each of these categories for each financial year is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Development  Preparation  Direct and indirect  Work force development  Transport 
			 2005-06 2,479,000 0 0 0 0 
			 2006-07 5,000,000 0 0 4,400,000 0 
			 2007-08 9,612,000 15,203,000 2,195,582 19,501,000 0 
			 2008-09 12,900,000 26,700,000 17,500,000 55,800,000 1,000,000 
		
	
	The estimated funding level for diplomas for 2009-10 and 2010-11 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2009-10 151.5 
			 2010-11 198.3 
		
	
	2011-12 will be considered as part of the next Spending Review process.

Young People: Learning Disabilities

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many of those diagnosed with  (a) dyslexia and  (b) dyspraxia between the ages of 11 and 18 have gone on to attend university in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many children diagnosed with  (a) dyslexia and  (b) dyspraxia before entering secondary school have gone on to attend university in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	Information is not held centrally on children and young people diagnosed with dyspraxia entering higher education. The numbers of 18-year-old undergraduate entrants who were recorded as having dyslexia in the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record are given in the table as an alternative. This information is self-reported: therefore a student may choose not to share information about his/her disability.
	Figures for the 2008-09 academic year will be available from HESA in January 2010.
	
		
			  UK Domicile undergraduate entrants( 1)  with Dyslexia( 2: ) UK higher education institutions, 1997-98 to 2007-08 
			   18-year-old entrants 
			 1997-98 1,375 
			 1998-99 1,615 
			 1999-2000 1,985 
			 2000-01 2,305 
			 2001-02 3,070 
			 2002-03 3,390 
			 2003-04 3,945 
			 2004-05 4,405 
			 2005-06 5,450 
			 2006-07 5,385 
			 2007-08(3) 5,730 
			 (1) Covers Entrants to full-time and part-time courses (2) Dyslexia is part of the HESA field 'Disability' which records the type of disability that a student has, on the basis of the student's own self-assessment. (3) Figures for 2007/08 refer to the category 'A specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia' in the 'Disability' field and are not directly comparable to previous years.  Notes:  Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December. Figures in the table are rounded to the nearest five.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many helplines his Department operates; and how much his Department has received from the operation of such helplines since its inception.

Joan Ruddock: The Department funds the ACT ON CO2 advice line run by The Energy Saving Trust, which offers bespoke advice to consumers on how they can effectively save energy, water and waste.
	DEFRA and Business Innovation and Skills public inquiry lines are also geared to respond to public inquiries on all aspects of DECC's business.
	No line makes money from its operation.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will consider the merits of securing accreditation of his Department's helplines to the Helplines Association's quality standard; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: BIS and DEFRA public phone lines currently cover public inquiries on DECC's remit.
	Where appropriate, and dependent on the purpose of the telephone service being offered, DECC would look to seek accreditation.
	THA may be an appropriate accreditation.

G20: Greater London

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what commitments the Government entered into during the G20 London summit on energy, climate change and related matters.

Joan Ruddock: The Communiqué issued at the end of the G20 London summit detailed the commitments as follows:
	We agreed to make the best possible use of investment funded by fiscal stimulus programmes towards the goal of building a resilient, sustainable and green recovery. We will make the transition towards clean, innovative, resource efficient, low carbon technologies and infrastructure. We encourage the multilateral development banks to contribute fully to the achievement of this objective. We will identify and work together on further measures to build sustainable economies.
	We reaffirm our commitment to address the threat of irreversible climate change, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and to reach agreement at the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.

G8: Italy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for which aspects of the Government's contribution to commitments agreed at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila his Department is responsible.

Joan Ruddock: The commitments agreed at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila which the Department of Energy and Climate Change is responsible for can be found in the G8 Communiqué entitled 'Responsible Leadership For A Sustainable Future' accessible electronically at:
	http://www.g8italia2009.it/static/G8_Allegato/G8_Declaration_08_07_09_final.O.pdf
	The relevant paragraphs are: 39-44, 60-80, 83-93.

Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which countries were represented at the Major Economies Forum on Climate Change held on 18 and 19 October; what papers were presented; and if he will publish on his Department's website a copy of  (a) each paper circulated and  (b) the statement agreed at the conclusion of the meeting.

Joan Ruddock: Participants of the London Major Economies Forum were: Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Canada, China, EU Commission, EU Presidency, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Norway attended as an observer.
	Vulnerable countries were also invited to attend the London MEF. Lesotho and the Maldives attended at ministerial level and therefore had a seat at the table. Bangladesh, Costa Rica and Ethiopia attended as observers.
	The output of the meeting is available at:
	http://www.actoncopenhagen.decc.gov.uk/en/ambition/achievements/october/mef-show-copenhagen-do-able

Renewable Energy: Local Government

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department is monitoring the adherence of local authorities to their obligation to promote and encourage the development of renewable energy resources in their local development policy.

Ian Austin: Local planning authorities in England are required to make an annual report to the Secretary of State on the extent to which the policies set out in local development documents are being achieved. In addition my Department published research on our website in July 2009 which looked at the ambition of targets for renewable energy set in regional spatial strategies and their implementation. We are also currently undertaking research into the take up of and application of the policies in the Planning Policy Statement on Planning and Climate Change. Planning elsewhere in the UK is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

United Nations Adaptation Fund

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding the Government provided to the United Nations Adaptation Fund in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009; what funding is planned for 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Adaptation Fund was established under the Kyoto Protocol of the UNFCCC and launched at COP-7 in Marrakech, in 2001. Its aim was to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in vulnerable developing countries. The Board of the Adaptation Fund was then established in 2008. The Fund is expected to become operational before the climate change conference in Copenhagen at the end of this year. The Adaptation Fund has a unique mechanism for financing, which is not dependent on contributions from specific countries. Instead, it is financed by a market-based source of funding-a 2 per cent. levy on the proceeds of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which was also established under the Kyoto Protocol. Nevertheless, the UK has been supporting the design and implementation of the Adaptation Fund both as a board member and through provision of £0.5 million start-up funding.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Building Regulations: Public Consultation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many responses were received to his Department's public consultation on proposals to revise Building Regulations  (a) Part F on ventilation and  (b) Part L on conservation of fuel and power; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each such response.

Ian Austin: The Department received over 400 responses to the public consultation on proposals to revise Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations 2000. The responses are currently being analysed. A summary of the responses will be published on the Department's website in due course. A copy of each individual response not marked as confidential will be placed in the Library at the same time.

Chief Fire Adviser

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason the post of Her Majesty's Chief Inspectorate of Fire Services has been renamed as Chief Fire Adviser; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The 2003 Fire and Rescue Service White Paper proposed the reform of the role of HM Fire Service Inspectorate (HMFSI). Ministers decided that as it was no longer undertaking its original core function of inspecting all fire and rescue services in England, it should be abolished with effect from 1 February 2007. Later that year, the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser's Unit (CFRA) was established to provide strategic advice and guidance to ministers, civil servants, fire and rescue services in England and other stakeholders (including the devolved Administrations), on the structure, organisation and performance of the Fire and Rescue Service.

Community Relations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department has taken to implement the recommendations made in the report of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion on Building united and resilient communities, developing shared futures; and what changes have been made to the funding of external organisations as a consequence of such implementation.

Shahid Malik: The Government published their plans for implementing the report of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion on 4 February 2008. This included the announcement of £50 million for community cohesion work over three years. £34 million was allocated to local authorities through Area Based Grant; £7.5 million to interfaith work; £4.5 million to positive activities for young people; and the remainder to support for local areas. More recently, the Government have allocated further funding to support local areas as part of the Connecting Communities programme. Elements of the above funding will go to external organisations.

Council Housing: East of England

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tenants there were in  (a) St. Albans constituency,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) the East of England in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn) on 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 356W.

Council Housing: Finance

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the capital expenditure per unit of council housing has been in each local authority area in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: A table containing the information requested has been placed in the House Library.

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the capital receipts from the sale of local authority housing stock in Tamworth constituency were in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of the sum was  (a) retained by Tamworth Borough Council and  (b) passed to his Department in each of those years.

Ian Austin: Prior to 1 April 2004, local authorities retained receipts arising from the disposal of their housing assets, although authorities with debt set aside a proportion of those receipts to repay their housing debt.
	The following table shows for each financial year since 1999-2000 the total housing receipts received by Tamworth borough council and since 2004-05 the total amount of those receipts which were surrendered to the Exchequer Consolidated Fund. These do not pass directly to the Department for Communities and Local Government, nor are they hypothecated to specific policy areas but, together with other resources, contribute towards the overall fiscal envelope within which departmental public expenditure programmes are agreed as part of the Spending Review process.
	
		
			   £000 
			   Total housing receipts received by Tamworth borough council  Total of those receipts passed to the Exchequer Consolidated Fund 
			 1999-2000 3,101 n/a 
			 2000-2001 (1)- n/a 
			 2001-2002 4,318 n/a 
			 2002-2003 7,429 n/a 
			 2003-2004 10,388 n/a 
			 2004-2005 7,214 5,230 
			 2005-2006 5,350 3,649 
			 2006-2007 2,110 1,526 
			 2007-2008 1,802 1,306 
			 2008-2009 361 259 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) = Not available. 
		
	
	Data for 2003-2004 and previous years were provided by the local authority on a voluntary basis in the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix. Since 2004-2005, data on housing receipts and the calculation of the proportion of those receipts that must be paid to the Secretary of State has been a requirement, and it is audited every year.
	The parliamentary constituency of Tamworth covers the whole of the area administered by Tamworth borough council, and part of the area administered by Lichfield district council. Data on housing receipts are collected on the basis of local authorities, not parliamentary constituencies.

Council Housing: Waiting Lists

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average time taken for  (a) all applicants and  (b) single mothers to be allocated to local authority accommodation in (i) England, (ii) the North East, (iii) Tees Valley and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency was in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Information on the length of time taken to house applicants in local authority accommodation is not collected centrally.

Council Housing: Young People

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many 18 to 21-year-olds are housed as priority need owing to their status as a former relevant child.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq22009
	Data collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty to secure that suitable accommodation is available (homeless acceptances). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	The priority need categories include a person (other than a relevant student) who is under 21 and, at any time after reaching the age of 16, but while still under 18, was, but is no longer, looked after, accommodated or fostered. Between April and June 2009 (the most recent period for which data are available), 130 homeless acceptances fell within this priority need category.
	The priority need categories also include a person (other than a relevant student) who has reached the age of 21 and who is vulnerable as a result of having been looked after, accommodated or fostered. Between April and June 2009, 40 homeless acceptances fell within this priority need group, but it is not possible to identify the age of the applicants.
	The term relevant student means a person to whom section 24B(3) of the Children Act 1989 applies, who is in full time further or higher education and whose term-time accommodation is not available to him during a vacation.
	Former relevant children under 21 are likely to qualify for advice and assistance from the responsible Children's Services authority, including assistance in meeting their accommodation needs. The general expectation is that they will receive sufficient support to avoid them becoming homeless. However, if a former relevant child's accommodation arrangements break down unavoidably, the homelessness legislation provides a safety net to ensure they will have suitable accommodation available.

Council Tax: Bromley

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties are recorded with each individual  (a) dwelling house code and  (b) value significant code in the local authority area of Bromley.

Barbara Follett: The number of properties with each individual dwelling house code and each value significant code, for all local authority areas in England, have been placed in the Library of the House.

Council Tax: Debt Collection

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2009,  Official Report, column 584W, on council tax: debt collection, what the timetable is for the planned changes to the enforcement of council tax; and whether the plans will require  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation.

Barbara Follett: Although 97 per cent. of council tax was collected in 2008-09 there are still people who, despite being able to afford to pay their bills, do not do so. That is why, on 2 July last year my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey) announced that this Department was working with the Ministry of Justice to devise new ways of collecting and enforcing council tax, in particular by allowing local authorities to transfer debt cases from magistrates courts to county courts. If the Government decide to extend the enforcement regime in this way it would have to be done through primary legislation. Local authorities have a duty to their rate payers to ensure that every one of their hard earned pounds works as hard as they do.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether it is the policy of the Valuation Office Agency to value a self-contained annexe as a separate dwelling for council tax purposes in cases where planning permission for the property was granted on the condition that the annexe should not be sold or sub-let separately.

Barbara Follett: If an annexe is a self contained unit, it must be treated as a separate dwelling under the Council Tax (Chargeable Dwellings) Order 1992. Conditions attached to planning permission that prevent a separate sale are ignored as all dwellings must be banded for council tax purposes using the valuation assumptions set out in regulation 6 of the Council Tax (Situation and Valuation of Dwellings) Regulations 1992, which include an assumption of sale.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the addition of a conservatory to a dwelling is considered by the Valuation Office Agency to be value significant for the purposes of council tax valuations and revaluations.

Barbara Follett: The addition of a conservatory is likely to be value significant and would constitute a material increase under section 24(10) Local Government Finance Act 1992. As such it would not affect a council tax band unless and until a relevant transaction took place (and only then if it added sufficient value to put a property into a higher band).
	In the event of a revaluation the existence of a conservatory would be taken into account, as would any other feature, positive or negative, that affects value in the market at the time.

Council Tax: Windsor

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in the local authority area of Windsor are recorded with each individual  (a) dwelling house code and  (b) value significant code, including each individual (i) type, (ii) number of rooms, (iii) number of bedrooms, (iv) number of bathrooms, (v) floors, (vi) floor level, (vii) parking, (viii) garaging, (ix) conservatory type, (x) age, (xi) outbuilding and (xii) modernisation code according to electronic records held by the Valuation Office Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The number of properties with each individual dwelling house code and each value significant code, for all local authority areas in England, have been placed in the Library of the House.

Council Tax: Wokingham

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in the local authority area of Wokingham are recorded with each individual  (a) dwelling house code and  (b) value significant code, including each individual (i) type, (ii) number of rooms, (iii) number of bedrooms, (iv) number of bathrooms, (v) floors, (vi) floor level, (vii) parking, (viii) garaging, (ix) conservatory type, (x) age, (xi) outbuilding and (xii) modernisation code according to electronic records held by the Valuation Office Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The number of properties with each individual dwelling house code and each value significant code, for all local authority areas in England, have been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Internet

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the cost of maintaining and updating its Twitter account in 2009-10; and how many staff are responsible for updating the account.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 October 2009,  Official Report, column 966W, to the hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening).

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what training is available to  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department in respect of the delivery of value for money savings.

Barbara Follett: Communities and Local Government is committed to ensuring that everyone at every grade has the skills and knowledge they need to deliver effectively for the Department.
	This involves a strategic learning and development offer which provides a wide and flexible range of support through core programmes and specific events for individuals.
	No specific training for Ministers or officials on the delivery of value for money is offered at this time.

Fire Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will require local authorities to ensure that  (a) there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of the FiReControl project and  (b) (i) the Fire Brigades Union will be fully recognised within the workplace and (ii) the Fire Service Grey Book pay, terms and conditions will apply to the service after implementation of the project.

Shahid Malik: Decisions on staffing levels, terms and conditions and union recognition are for the employers-currently the fire and rescue authorities and then the local authority controlled companies and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority once the regional control centres are up and running.
	Under TUPE legislation, transferring staff's current terms and conditions will transfer with them to the regional control centre. Union recognition is a matter for the employers but if a sufficient percentage of staff are members of a union then recognition is automatic.
	Redundancies should be a last resort. The Department has provided guidance to the employers to encourage them to explore all possible avenues including, for example, redeployment and retraining.

Fire Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the FiReControl programme; and what difficulties have been encountered in that implementation.

Shahid Malik: Good progress has been made on a number of fronts: eight out of nine regional control centres (RCCs) buildings have been built, fire and rescue authorities have come together to form regional local authority controlled companies to run the RCCs and equipment installation in local fire stations is on track.
	However, in July we rescheduled the implementation timetable. It became clear that technical problems with developing the IT system in a way which met all our and the fire and rescue services' requirements meant that further time would be needed to complete the project. The first RCCs are scheduled to take calls from May 2011.

Fire Services

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new fire stations were built in  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Shropshire in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Shahid Malik: This information, which is reported in financial year returns to the Department, is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of new fire stations in England, the West Midlands region and Shropshire 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 England 3 0 0 
			 West Midlands 0 0 0 
			 Shropshire 0 0 0 
			  Source:  Annual returns to CLG

Fire Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the initial estimate of the cost of the regional FiReControl project was; and what his most recent estimate is of the final cost of the project.

Shahid Malik: holding answer 29 October 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Copeland (Mr. Reed) today (PQ 295869).

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what evidence was assessed by his Department prior to proposing to create one body responsible for the governance of Firebuy Limited, FireLink and FiReControl; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The proposal that in future the national procurement function for the fire and rescue service should be carried out in a larger body also responsible for the management of the service contracts for the Fire and Resilience Programme, once they become operational, was based on an analysis of the options for the future delivery of these roles. The basis for the proposal and the options considered were in the Department's consultation paper on Fire and Resilience Programme In-Service Management published on 13 July 2009.

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many responses were received in respect of the consultation which closed on 5 October, on merging the functions of Firebuy Limited, FireLink and FiReControl into one body; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The Department received 39 responses to the Fire and Resilience Programme In-Service Management Consultation.

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the In-Service Management Consultation document in respect of the amalgamation into a new body of the existing FiReControl, FireLink and Firebuy functions; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The consultation on the options for the in-service management of the Fire and Resilience Programme was published on the Department's website in July 2009. A copy will be placed in the Library. The Department will publish its response following the consultation later in the year.

Fire Services: Closures

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire stations were closed in  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Shropshire in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Shahid Malik: This information, which is reported in financial year returns to the Department, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of fire station s  closed in England, the West Midlands region and Shropshire, 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 England 7 1 0 
			 West Midlands 1 0 0 
			 Shropshire 0 0 0 
			  Source: Annual returns to CLG.

Fire Services: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received from Cumbria County Council on the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.

Shahid Malik: In the last six months, CLG has received responses from Cumbria fire and rescue service to formal consultations on the transfer of New Dimension assets to fire and rescue services and on the Formula Grant Review.
	CLG has also received a letter from Councillor Gary Strong of Cumbria county council about the FiReControl project.

Fire Services: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what effect the implementation of the FiReControl programme will have on frontline fire and rescue services in Copeland.

Shahid Malik: The FiReControl network will ensure that Copeland firefighters and control room staff are supported by the best technology to do their job.
	Firefighters will have real-time safety information and incident details through in-cab data terminals; automatic tracking of fire appliances will enable the nearest appropriate appliances to be sent to an incident; and emergency calls from the public will be automatically located.
	The network of control centres will share calls and data across the national network to manage even the highest call volumes to provide a more resilient service.

Fire Services: Equal Opportunities

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether participation in the Fire Service High Potential Development Programme is part of the programme of enhanced diversity targets agreed between his Department and fire and rescue services; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: Participation in the pilot High Potential Leadership Programme is a voluntary commitment by a limited number of fire and rescue services. The Fire and Rescue Service Equality and Diversity Strategy 2008-18 recognises the part that such a programme can play in ensuring that equality and diversity are fully integrated into all aspects of the service. The programme is not, however, linked to the more stretching targets agreed between the Department and fire and rescue services.

Fire Services: Equality

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) targets and  (b) guidance his Department has issued to fire and rescue authorities on diversity and equality in their employment of staff.

Shahid Malik: In May 2008 Communities and Local Government published the Fire and Rescue Service Equality and Diversity Strategy 2008-18 which provides guidance and direction for fire and rescue authorities on equality and diversity issues. The Fire and Rescue Service National Framework requires fire and rescue authorities to implement the provisions of the strategy.
	The strategy includes the requirement for each fire and rescue authority to have recruitment, progression and retention targets for its service. The targets apply to women in the operational sector and to people from minority ethnic background across all sectors of the service. The targets to be met by each fire and rescue authority, as set out in the strategy, are:
	By 2013 a minimum of 15 per cent. of new entrants to the operational sector to be women;
	By 2013 recruitment of minority ethnic staff across the whole organisation to be at the same percentage as the minority ethnic representation in the local working population, and
	By 2013 parity in rates of retention and progression between minority ethnic and white employees, and between men and women.
	In December 2008 Communities and Local Government invited all fire and rescue authorities to submit proposals for their recruitment targets. Their targets were published by Communities and Local Government in the Fire and Rescue Service Annual Equality and Diversity Report in March 2009.

Fire Services: Equipment

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will introduce national standards for fire service equipment.

Shahid Malik: There are existing British, European and international standards which ensure that fire service equipment is fit for purpose. Except for national resilience purposes, it is for each fire and rescue authority to determine the equipment needed to meet its requirements.

Fire Services: Finance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) originally estimated costs,  (b) costs to date and  (c) estimated future costs of implementing the FiReControl programme are.

Shahid Malik: The basic initial costs and timescales of implementing the FiReControl project, as originally estimated in 2004, were £120 million. Following more detailed work, project costs were updated to include funding to fire and rescue authorities for local and regional implementation activity, the costs of the regional control centre building leases and the costs of equipment to be installed in every fire station in England to support improved mobilisation.
	The expenditure to date on the project is approximately £190 million. The estimated full cost of implementing FiReControl is £420 million.

Fire Services: Manpower

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Fire Service firefighters were employed by the Fire and Rescue Service in  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Shropshire in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Shahid Malik: The number of firefighters employed in fire and rescue services for  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands region and  (c) Shropshire are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of firefighters in fire and rescue services in England, the West Midlands region and Shropshire, 2006-08 
			   31 March 2006  31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			   Whole - time  Retained duty system  Whole - time  Retained duty system  Whole - time  Retained duty system 
			 England 30,708 13,927 30,804 14,212 30,824 14,166 
			 West Midlands 3,078 1,241 3,171 1,252 3,214 1,279 
			 Shropshire 203 293 215 302 214 325 
			  Source: Annual returns to CLG.

Fire Services: Standards

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will introduce nationwide standardisation of fire service operational procedures.

Shahid Malik: The Government have produced operational guidance for use by fire and rescue services (FRSs) for over 60 years.
	The guidance identifies generic risks associated with resolving fire and other operational incidents. However it is for each fire and rescue authority as the employer to utilise the guidance as it sees fit and to ensure safe systems of work for each risk to which its employees are likely to be exposed.
	The use of the guidance and the specialist nature of FRSs' work mean that there is a significant similarity in the operational procedures employed by FRSs in England. This is especially the case in safety critical activity such as incident command, control of the use of breathing apparatus and radio communications.
	In some specialist functions of FRS activity, such as the Government's urban search and rescue provision, it is expected that teams from across the UK will work together to resolve events. In such cases the guidance is more prescriptive to ensure interoperability.

Fire Services: Training

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will introduce national standards for the training provided to firefighters.

Shahid Malik: Fire and rescue authorities are responsible for the training of their firefighters. The integrated personal development system, which is underpinned by national occupational standards, provides a framework for the provision of training nationally while allowing individual fire and rescue services to tailor their training provision to meet the requirements of their integrated risk management plan.

FiReBuy: Public Appointments

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria were used in selecting the six individuals shortlisted for the vacant post of Chairman of Firebuy Limited; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The criteria used for shortlisting the candidates for the Chair were published in the person specification for the role which formed part of the application pack for candidates.
	The essential criteria were:
	Track record of leadership at a senior level in a corporate environment in the public or private sector.
	Experience of leading a change management process, establishing and maintaining strategic direction.
	Track record of corporate, commercial and financial management in a public and/or private sector environment.
	Experience of effective corporate governance and risk management.
	Track record of working in an environment with a wide stakeholder community representing a variety of interests.
	The desirable criteria were:
	Knowledge of the emergency services.
	Knowledge and experience of public sector procurement, contract and service management.
	An understanding about the issues involved in working within a political environment.
	The selection process is currently under way and we hope to appoint the chair in November.

Fires

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of domestic fires caused as a result of the operation of  (a) electric ovens,  (b) gas ovens,  (c) microwave ovens and  (d) central and water heating systems in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available; and how many of these fires resulted in (i) fatalities and (ii) non-fatal injuries.

Shahid Malik: Fire and Rescue Services share with the Department details of incidents attended, including of domestic fires. Since 1 April 2009, Fire and Rescue Services have been reporting using the Incident Recording System (IRS). Previously, data were collected according to the Fire Data Report (FDR) form. Details of each system can be found in Incident Recording System Questions and Lists, and Fire Data Report Code List respectively. Both documents are in the Library of the House.
	The numbers of fires, fatalities and non-fatal injuries for the most recent 12 month period available are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Fire, fatalities and non-fatal casualties by selected sources of ignition, England, 2008( 1) 
			  Source of ignition  Fires  Fatal casualties  Non-fatal casualties 
			  (a) Electric ovens 9,604 12 1,993 
			  (b) Gas ovens 3,788 10 784 
			  (c) Microwave ovens 977 0 173 
			  (d) Central and water heating systems 760 6 115 
			 (1) Provisional.

Homelessness

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities with no known or suspected rough sleeper problem are not required by his Department to conduct rough sleeper counts.

Ian Austin: Since 1998 local authorities conduct rough sleeper counts in accordance with Communities and Local Government's Guidance on evaluating the extent of rough sleeping. Broadly if a local authority feels that it has developed a rough sleeping problem, and in particular it estimates that there may be more than 10 rough sleepers in the area, then it should count.
	There have been significant and sustained cuts in the numbers of people who are living rough on the streets since we established a baseline of 1,850 rough sleepers in 1998. The 2009 headline figure for rough sleeping based on local authority counts is 465 and set out in the table. Since 2009 this no longer includes estimates.
	
		
			  Local authority  Region  Date  Number 
			 Westminster L 26 March 2009 110 
			 City of London L 20 March 2009 38 
			 Tower Hamlets L 1 May 2009 17 
			 Southwark L 3 April 2009 15 
			 Kensington and Chelsea L 25 November 2008 13 
			 Lambeth L 26 March 2009 13 
			 Haringey L 27 November 2008 11 
			 Bath SW 3 April 2009 10 
			 Bedford E 23 May 2008 10 
			 Hackney L 20 March 2009 10 
			 Hillingdon L 19 November 2008 10 
			 Chester NW 27 March 2008 9 
			 Liverpool NW 21 April 2009 9 
			 Manchester NW 28 November 2008 9 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham L 25 November 2008 8 
			 Norwich E 7 May 2009 8 
			 Herefordshire WM 24 September 2008 7 
			 Hull Y and H 19 My 2009 7 
			 Worthing SE 21 November 2008 7 
			 Bournemouth SW 28 October 2008 6 
			 Brighton and Hove SE 4 March 2009 6 
			 Camden L 22 April 2009 6 
			 Leeds YH 18 April 2008 6 
			 Peterborough E 28 May 2008 6 
			 Reading SE 14 May 2008 6 
			 Redbridge L 28 May 2008 6 
			 Carrick SW 31 March 2009 5 
			 Exeter SW 8 May 2009 5 
			 Kirklees Y and H 21 November 2008 5 
			 Oxford SE 21 November 2008 5 
			 Watford E 25 March 2009 5 
			 Birmingham WM 28 November 2008 4 
			 Brent L 7 March 2008 4 
			 Coventry WM 26 March 2009 4 
			 Derby EM 12 May 2008 4 
			 Milton Keynes SE 28 November 2008 4 
			 North Devon SW 18 March 2009 4 
			 Plymouth SW 25 November 2008 4 
			 Winchester SE 18 November 2008 4 
			 Bradford YH 21 November 2008 3 
			 North Cornwall SW 31 March 2009 3 
			 Restormel SW 31 March 2009 3 
			 Salisbury SW 9 October 2008 3 
			 Sheffield Y and H 7 May 2008 3 
			 Sunderland NE 26 November 2008 3 
			 Crewe and Nantwich NW 27 March 2008 2 
			 Lancaster NW 6 March 2009 2 
			 Lewisham L 27 March 2008 2 
			 Macclesfield NW 27 March 2008 2 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne NE 29 April 2008 2 
			 Northampton EM 16 April 2009 2 
			 Waltham Forest L 24 April 2009 2 
			 York Y and H 29 April 2009 2 
			 Bromley L 13 March 2009 1 
			 Calderdale Y and H 15 May 2008 1 
			 Cambridge E 3 October 2008 1 
			 Fenland E 9 September 2008 1 
			 Halton NW 27 March 2008 1 
			 Isle of Wight SE 4 April 2009 1 
			 Penwith SW 31 March 2009 1 
			 Portsmouth SE 22 May 2009 1 
			 Rotherham Y and H 16 September 2008 1 
			 Teignbridge SW 26 March 2008 1 
			 Wakefield Y and H 22 May 2009 1 
			 Caradon SW 31 March 2009 0 
			 Congleton NW 27 March 2008 0 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston NW 27 March 2008 0 
			 Gateshead NE 15 April 2009 0 
			 Hertsmere E 22 May 2009 0 
			 Kerrier SW 31 March 2008 0 
			 Newham L 7 March 2008 0 
			 North Lincs Y and H 16 October 2008 0 
			 North Somerset SW 15 May 2008 0 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands WM 22 April 2008 0 
			 Vale Royal NW 27 March2008 0 
			 Warrington NW 7 March 2008 0 
			 Total from street counts   465

Homelessness

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless people there were in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) the East of England and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq22009
	The regional and national figures for the number of applicants accepted as owed a main duty and the number of households in temporary accommodation, for each financial year since 1998-99 can be found in Tables 3 and 7 of the latest Statistical Release. The equivalent 1997-98 figures can be found in earlier additions of the Release, accessible from this link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Data are not collected at constituency level. The Mid-Bedfordshire constituency falls within the local authorities of Bedford and Central Bedfordshire (which, prior to 1( )April 2009, comprised Mid-Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire). Data are not reported at county level. Bedfordshire includes the following local authorities:
	Bedford;
	Luton; and
	Central Bedfordshire.
	For local authority level acceptance and temporary accommodation figures between 1997-98 and 2008-09 (including those listed above), I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 843W.
	Information is also collected on the number of people who sleep rough-that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night, and local authority data and count guidance can be found here:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/homelessness/roughsleeping/

Homelessness: Young People

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of 18 to 21 year olds who are in  (a) homeless,  (b) emergency and  (c) night shelter accommodation.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. The data include households housed in temporary accommodation by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. There were 60,230 households in temporary accommodation on 30th June 2009, 19 per cent. lower than the same date last year and 41 per cent. lower than the peak in 2004. We do not collect centrally the age of applicants in temporary accommodation households and therefore it is not possible to identify the number of 18 to 21-year-olds in these households.
	Data about the number of 18 to 21-year-olds who access housing related support services, funded by the Supporting People programme are submitted by providers of housing related support services on a quarterly basis. This data source includes information on those who access 'direct access' services. 'Direct access' services are defined as night shelters, emergency or crisis accommodation, including direct access hostels, and other homeless hostels. Therefore Supporting People data does not separate out 'emergency' from 'night shelter' accommodation.

Housing Benefit: Travelling People

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Travellers are eligible for housing benefit under the local housing allowance scheme when residing on sites which do not have planning permission.

Helen Goodman: I have been asked to reply.
	Entitlement to housing benefit relies on a person being liable for rent on their home. Those who live in caravans or mobile homes do not have their housing benefit worked out based on the local housing allowance rules.

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes were built on surplus public sector land in each of the last five years.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 19 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 1346-47W.

Housing: Hertfordshire

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) East Herts district are recorded with each individual (i) dwellinghouse code and (ii) value significant code, including each code for (A) type, (B) number of rooms, (C) number of bedrooms, (D) number of bathrooms, (E) number of floors, (F) floor level, (G) parking, (H) garaging, (I) conservatory type, (J) age, (K) outbuilding and (L) modernisation, according to electronic records held by the Valuation Office Agency.

Barbara Follett: The number of properties with each individual dwellinghouse code and each value significant code, for all local authority areas in England, have been placed in the Library of the House.

Land Use: Norwich

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many acres of  (a) brownfield and  (b) greenfield land there were in Norwich North constituency in (i) 1997, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2009.

Ian Austin: Information at constituency level could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mayors

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on consultations on the establishment of procedures for the direct election of mayors.

Rosie Winterton: The Department issued guidance to local authorities in 2000 on the consultation requirements for changing to executive governance arrangements, including for the establishment of a directly elected mayor. While the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 established new arrangements for changing to governance models, including moving to a directly elected mayor, we have issued no further such guidance. Within the statutory arrangements it is for each council to decide its own consultation process.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Billericay of 20 July and 5 October 2009 regarding the Travellers' site at Dale Farm, Crays Hill.

Shahid Malik: I have now replied to the hon. Member's correspondence.

Property: Rural Areas

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of empty properties in rural areas in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many social rented homes in rural areas have been sold in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: The following table shows the total number of vacant dwellings in rural areas in each year since 1997.
	
		
			   Vacant dwellings in rural areas 
			 1997 233,350 
			 1998 223,470 
			 1999 244,200 
			 2000 243,200 
			 2001 227,190 
			 2002 238,070 
			 2003 232,690 
			 2004 228,560 
			 2005 245,480 
			 2006 254,960 
			 2007 262,680 
			 2008 280,710 
			  Source:  Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns from local authorities for 1 April 1997 to 2001; Council Taxbase and Council Taxbase Supplementary (CTB1 and CTB1S) returns from local authorities for November 2002 to 2004 and October 2005 to 2008. 
		
	
	Of the 47,360 increase in the number of vacant dwellings between 1997 and 2008, 90 per cent. occurred between 2002 and 2008. Over this period, growth in the number of short term vacants accounts for the entire increase. Short term vacants are defined as being empty for less than six months. Short term vacancies occur for a variety of reasons including repairs, maintenance, housing sales and other transactions. The 2007-08 increase in vacant dwellings was expected as a result of the current economic climate.
	The Empty Homes Agency has found that rural local authorities are less active in bringing empty homes back into use than urban authorities. Their research shows that an empty property is three times more likely to be brought back into use if it is in an urban area compared to a rural area.
	Total vacant dwellings reported by local authorities through Council Taxbase returns include long term and short term empty dwellings.
	The following table shows the number of social homes sold to sitting tenants in rural areas in each year since 1997-98:
	
		
			   Local authority homes sold( 1)  Registered social landlord homes sold( 2)  Total social homes sold 
			 1997-98 12,820 n/a n/a 
			 1998-99 11,420 n/a n/a 
			 1999-2000 15,250 n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 12,840 n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 12,450 4,070 16,520 
			 2002-03 14,590 5,040 19,640 
			 2003-04 13,950 5,660 19,610 
			 2004-05 8,990 3,510 12,500 
			 2005-06 5,190 1,730 6,920 
			 2006-07 3,430 1,600 5,020 
			 2007-08 2,080 1,100 3,180 
			 2008-09 480 370 840 
			 (1 )The local authority social housing sales figures are from quarterly P1B returns from local authorities to CLG. The majority of these sales are made through the right to buy scheme, but a small number of other local authority sales are also included. (2 )The registered social landlord (RSL) social housing sales figures are from the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) Regulatory and Statistical Returns (RSR), and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) Investment Management System (IMS). The RSR figures include sales through right to buy, preserved right to buy and right to acquire. The IMS figures include sales through Social HomeBuy. Some RSL sales, such as shared equity sales and disposals to the private sector, and all RSL sales prior to 2001-02, are not available at local authority level and have been excluded from the figures. 
		
	
	All rural figures are calculated based on the DEFRA Rural Definition (2004).

Regional Planning and Development: South West

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the revision of the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy in relation to undertaking strategic environment assessments of the proposals to remove green belt protection and introduce urban extensions.

Ian Austin: The Government have decided to carry out additional sustainability appraisal work to appraise alternatives to the Areas of Search for strategic housing, business and other development introduced or amended by the Secretary of State's Proposed Changes to the RSS. The Government wish to be satisfied that reasonable alternatives to these proposals were tested by the Sustainability Appraisal published with the Proposed Changes in July 2008. The testing of 'reasonable alternatives' is a requirement of the EU Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive. We expect this additional work to be completed early in the new year.
	In the South West, the removal of green belt protection is only proposed to accommodate strategic developments explicitly proposed in the Regional Spatial Strategy. The effects of the green belt changes will therefore generally be the same as the effects of the developments, and they will be appraised together.
	In the light of the Appraisal's findings, the Government will decide what action to take to complete the SW Strategy, which will provide the clarity and certainty about the future framework for growth in the region which all partners are keen to see. It would not be sensible to speculate on what action will be necessary before the findings are available, or how long any action is likely to take.

Regional Planning and Development: South West

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the policy of  (a) his Department and  (b) the Government Office for the South West is on requiring local authorities to adopt the proposals of the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy; and what effect his Department's decision to undertake new strategic environmental assessments will have on adoption of the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy.

Ian Austin: Officials in the Government Office for the South West have written to local authorities advising them of the weight to be attached to the Secretary of State's Proposed Changes to the Regional Spatial Strategy. My response to the hon. Member's Question 292581 deals with the effect of the decision to carry out additional sustainability appraisal work on adoption of the Strategy.

Regional Planning and Development: South West

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the oral answer of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 145, on the regional spatial strategy, what the nature, duration and timescale will be of the proposed consultation on the South West Regional Spatial Strategy.

Ian Austin: At this time is it not possible to specify the nature, duration or timescale of any consultation but this will be announced in due course.

Social Rented Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which recommendations of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's 2002 report, Social tenants' access to home working opportunities, commissioned by the Housing Corporation's Innovation and Good Practice programme, have been adopted by the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation to date.

Ian Austin: The report, which was part funded by the Housing Corporation's Innovation and Good Practice programme, made a range of recommendations to central and local government and to the housing association sector.
	In its Neighbourhood and Community Strategy of October 2006, the Housing Corporation emphasised the value of all housing associations promoting employment opportunities-including residents working from their homes. Home working is also likely to be covered in forthcoming guidance from the Homes and Communities Agency, for example on the development of Local Investment Plans for local authorities and other partners.
	The Live-Work Network, which was set up following the publication of the report, has been commissioned by Government to conduct a national study of the potential of local 'hubs' to support people who work from home. This work is being supported by the Homes and Communities Agency, the Commission for Rural Communities and CLG.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from the Local Government Association in respect of funding decisions affecting the Decent Homes Improvement Programme in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Ian Austin: The Local Government Association wrote to the Housing Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John Healey), on 27 July in respect of the funding decisions that the Minister had taken in the context of the Housing Pledge announcement of 17 July.

Supporting People Programme

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects on  (a) special needs provision and  (b) domestic violence services in (i) Luton and (ii) England of reductions in Supporting People budgets; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The provision of Supporting People housing related support services, including special needs and domestic violence provision, is a matter for local authorities to determine based on local needs and priorities. CLG do not specify what portion of the SP budget should be allocated to individual client groups. However CLG, through annual expenditure returns and quarterly Supporting People local systems data, monitor the expenditure and number of available services funded from the Supporting People programme.
	Based on the expenditure information provided annually by local authorities, expenditure on domestic violence services in England has increased in each of the three years ended March 2008. In Luton, the number of places (Household units) reported to CLG at quarter end 31st March for this period has remained unchanged.
	For special needs services the number of places for (1) Luton and (2) England is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of special needs places( 1) 
			  Date quarter ending  31 March each year  Luton  England 
			 2008 109 43,114 
			 2007 97 45,980 
			 2006 114 44,155 
			 (1) Special needs for the purpose of the above includes learning, sensory and physical disability services.

Tenant Services Authority: Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date the Tenant Services Authority's National Conversation is expected to close.

John Healey: The Tenant Services Authority's National Conversation ended on 8 September.

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings his Department 's officials have had with Philip Brown Associates on matters relating to policy or planning decisions on Travellers in the last 12 months.

Shahid Malik: There is no record of the Department's officials having had any meetings with Philip Brown Associates on matters relating to policy or planning decisions on Travellers in the last 12 months.

TREASURY

Bank Mellat

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 1-2WS, on delegated legislation (counter-terrorism), to which UN-listed organisations Bank Mellat has provided services; what indications his Department gave to Bank Mellat of its concerns prior to 12 October 2009; what concerns his Department has raised relating to those UN-listed organisations; and which  (a) organisations and  (b) activities supported by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines have led to the imposition of restrictions on its trading activities.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In light of the sensitive nature of the information, we are unable to give further details of the organisations Bank Mellat has provided services to, or organisations and activities supported by IRISL which were relevant to the issuing of the direction.
	Both target entities were informed of the decision by letter and fax within hours of laying the order in Parliament.
	The UK Government have expressed their concerns on Iranian nuclear activities to the Iranian Administration, most recently during talks in Geneva in early October.

Banks: Iceland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the government of Iceland on the effect on UK  (a) savers,  (b) charities,  (c) local authorities and  (d) police forces of the financial situation in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Banks: Loans

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on encouraging the provision of mortgages and lending by UK banks to existing borrowers who have not defaulted on their mortgages; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are taking action to ensure mortgages continue to be available for creditworthy borrowers. On 19 January 2009, the Government announced a package of measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. Further information is available at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_05_09.htm
	These measures build on those announced on 8 October last year.
	On 19 October 2009, the FSA published its Mortgage Market Review, which sets out proposals to help ensure a mortgage market that is sustainable for all participants. This document is available on the FSA's website:
	www.fsa.gov.uk

Child Benefit

John Mason: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has for future increases in the level of child benefit.

Stephen Timms: Child benefit rates increased ahead of indexation in January this year, rising to £20 a week for the first child. Overall, child benefit has risen 25 per cent. in real terms since 1997. Decisions on child benefit rates are announced in the Budget and Pre-Budget Report.

Child Benefit: Grandparents

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases child benefit payments are being made to grandparents of the child to which the benefit relates.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not record the nature of the relationship between the child and the child benefit claimant where the person making the claim is the child's carer and not their parent.

Child Tax Credit

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the backlog of child benefit payments was in each month in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available. All payments of child benefit are generated automatically with the vast majority being paid by bank transfer. For information on the time it takes to pay a new child benefit claim I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Glasgow, East (John Mason) on 27 April 2009,  Official Report, columns, 1046-47W.

Child Tax Credit

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has for future increases in the levels of child tax credits.

Stephen Timms: The Government increased the child element of the child tax credit by £240 in Budget 2008, and by another £150 in Budget 2009, when the Government also announced that the child element will increase by £20 above indexation in April 2010. Overall, the child element has risen by £790 since its introduction. Decisions on increases in the levels of tax credits are announced in the Budget and Pre-Budget Report.

Child Tax Credit: Fraud

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many cases of fraudulent claims of child tax credit have been investigated in each year since child tax credit was introduced; and in how many cases the fraud investigated involved the  (a) non-existence and  (b) non-qualifying residential status of the child;
	(2)  how many cases of fraudulent claims for child benefit have been investigated in the last five years; and in how many such cases the fraud investigated involved the  (a) non-existence and  (b) non-qualifying residential status of the child.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 15 October 2009
	For information relating to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) compliance checks on tax credits awards I refer my hon. Friend to the information published in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 Comptroller and Auditor General's Standard Reports.
	Information for years up to and including 2007-08 can be found in table 6 on page R15 of the 2007-08 report published at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-dep-acct0708.pdf
	Similar information for 2008-09 is included in table 33 on page R41 of the Standard Report published at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-accs-0809.pdf
	HMRC has made and closed around 62,000 child benefit interventions in the five years to April 2009 but that figure cannot be broken down to reflect the specific categories of fraud requested, as HMRC's systems do not capture information in this way.
	Providing further information on this point might assist those attempting to defraud the system.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on maintaining its Flickr channel in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury originally purchased its Flickr channel on 5 November 2008 at a cost of £15. We have just renewed the channel for a further two years at a cost of £29. There are no further costs associated with maintaining the Flickr channel.

Departmental Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) full- and  (b) part-time employees his Department had each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on HM Treasury (HMT) employees is published and can be found in HMT's Annual Reports, available at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/dep_perf_reports_index.htm

EC Budget: Contributions

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the UK's net contribution to the EU budget in 2010-11.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 14 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 150-51W.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to respond to the interim advice given by Sir John Chadwick on Equitable Life.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A response was sent to Sir John Chadwick on 27 October.

Financial Services: Iran

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken in the last 12 months to restrict UK financial and credit institutions from dealing with Iran; what steps he plans to take in the next six months; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury issued an advisory notice to the financial sector on 11 March 2009 advising that
	All UK businesses regulated under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 whether financial institutions or other regulated persons should treat transactions associated with Iran as situations that by their nature can present a higher risk of money laundering or terrorist financing, and which therefore require increased scrutiny and enhanced due diligence. Other persons authorised by the Financial Services Authority should also take this advice into account in their systems and controls to counter financial crime, and take appropriate actions to minimise associated risks.
	Other advisories were issued by the Treasury regarding the risks posed by Iran on 20 October 2008 and 3 July 2009.
	HM Treasury used the powers under schedule 7 to the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 on 12 October 2009 to require all UK financial and credit institutions to cease transactions and business relationships with two Iranian entities-Bank Mellat and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines-on the basis of identified activities of concern that these entities were carrying out. HM Treasury will consider further use of the powers in schedule 7 to the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 where they are a proportionate response to a risk to the UK's national interests.
	As the Prime Minister has set out, the UK is prepared to implement sanctions against Iran beyond the UN and EU measures already in place as appropriate if it does not engage meaningfully with the international community.

Fuels: Scotland

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland on proposals for a fuel duty derogation for island communities in Scotland.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Decisions on fuel duty rates are a matter for the Chancellor as part of the normal Budget and PBR process.

Government Contracts

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Government contracts were awarded to companies which were members of the Consulting Association between 2000 and 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury does not hold a central record of its suppliers' affiliations to trade bodies and the information could not be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold.

Income Tax: Ireland

Mark Durkan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people resident in each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland and employed in the Republic of Ireland were liable to pay UK income tax in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Stephen Timms: Where a person is resident, ordinarily resident and domiciled in the United Kingdom, they pay tax on their worldwide income and gains in the United Kingdom on an arising basis subject to the application of any double taxation agreement.
	Estimated figures for the number of people resident in Northern Ireland and claiming foreign tax credit relief for earned income arising in the Republic of Ireland in 2007-08 derived from a sample of tax returns are provided in the following table. Available information for 2008-09 is not available, as the filing deadlines for this year have not yet passed.
	These estimates take into account the improvements made to the self-assessment return for 2007-08, and therefore are not comparable to the answer provided to the hon. Member for Foyle on 25 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 893-94W.
	Figures are not available for those who are not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in the UK who can claim to be taxed only on their income from overseas which they bring into or transfer to the UK.
	
		
			  Numbers of individuals claiming foreign tax credit relief for 2007-08 in respect to income from employment, self-employment and other income received from the Republic of Ireland( 1) 
			  Constituency of residence  2007-08 
			 Belfast East Under 25 
			 Belfast North Under 25 
			 Belfast South 50 
			 Belfast West Under 25 
			 East Antrim Under 25 
			 East Londonderry 50 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 400 
			 Foyle 250 
			 Lagan Valley 50 
			 Mid Ulster 50 
			 Newry and Armagh 500 
			 North Antrim Under 25 
			 North Down 50 
			 South Antrim Under 25 
			 South Down 250 
			 Strangford 50 
			 Upper Bann 50 
			 West Tyrone 250 
			 Total 2,100 
			 (1 )Excludes: (a) interest and other income from overseas savings; (b) dividends from foreign companies; (c) overseas pensions, social security benefits and royalties; (d) dividends and other income received by an overseas trust, company or other person abroad; (e) income from land and property abroad; (f) capital gains subject to foreign tax; (g) other overseas income and gains (e.g. gains on disposal of offshore funds, benefit from an overseas trust company or other person abroad, gains on foreign life insurance policies).

Inheritance Tax

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of raising the inheritance tax threshold to £1 million per person and £2 million per couple in each year between 2010-11 and 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The cost of increasing the inheritance tax threshold to £1 million with effect from April 2010 is estimated at £500 million in 2010-11, £1.2 billion in 2011-12, £1.4 billion in 2012-13 and £1.5 billion in 2013-14.
	Forecasts beyond 2013-14 have not been made.

Loans

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the mechanisms other than the use of credit reference agency services by which lenders assess a loan applicant's ability to repay a loan; and if he will hold discussions with the Council of Mortgage Lenders on that matter.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from and meet with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations and meetings.

Local Government: Loans

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many local authorities in  (a) Norfolk and  (b) England have current loans from the Public Works Loan Board; when each loan was taken out; what interest rates are being charged on each; what the term of each loan is; and how much interest has been paid on each to date.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A complete answer can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	At 31 March 2009, 296 of the 446 principal authorities in England, Scotland and Wales had loans outstanding with the PWLB. A summary of total outstanding loans from the PWLB to Norfolk local authorities is tabled as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Norfolk county council 553,908,510 
			 Norfolk police authority 17,812,899 
			 Great Yarmouth borough council 26,022,968 
			 Norwich city council 70,018,955 
		
	
	A summary of PWLB lending to these local authorities by advance date, interest rate and term has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	Total outstanding PWLB debt owed by authorities in England at 31 March 2009 was £40,842,357,987.
	Total overall PWLB debt across the UK, at 31 March 2009, was £50,853,477,721 at an average term of 27.4 years and average interest rate of 5.501 per cent.

Mortgages

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to assist those affected by shared appreciation mortgages.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 23 February 2009 from the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and Fife West, (Willie Rennie)  Official Report, column 322W.

PAYE

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether PAYE is included in the payroll taxes that can be deferred by small businesses facing cash flow difficulties.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 27 October 2009
	The Business Payment Support Service was launched on 24 November 2008 to support viable businesses in temporary financial difficulties. Under the scheme tax liabilities that would otherwise be due for payment are included in a time to pay arrangement that provides the business with the opportunity to spread their tax payments over a timetable they can afford. The service covers most taxes and duties including PAYE, income tax, corporation tax, VAT and national insurance.
	Further information can be found online at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2008/business-payment.htm.

Public Services

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to promote a reform of public services centred on the citizen.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 28 October 2009
	Ensuring that public services are centred on the citizen is at the heart of the Government's measures to reform services, and will continue to be our priority.
	Our strategy for taking this forward is set out in two recent reports: Building Britain's Future and Working Together-Public Services on Your Side, which cover the actions that the UK Government is taking to move the UK from recession to recovery and forge a new model of economic growth; restore trust and accountability to the political system through democratic reform and renewal; and modernise our public services and national infrastructure.
	Much has already been achieved by giving people more choice over services. Now, we are building on this by ensuring that services are more accountable and responsive to citizens through introducing stronger entitlements to core standards in services and giving those who use services greater personal control over them.

Revenue and Customs: Complaints

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors received in each year since 1997; how many of those complaints were upheld in each such year; how many such complaints resulted in a repayment; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Data on complaints received by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and its predecessor Departments are published in the relevant annual reports covering the years stated, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm
	and
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/annual_reps.htm
	The number of complaints upheld and partially upheld is only available for the years 2007-08 and 2008-09 as follows:
	
		
			   Upheld  Partially upheld 
			 2007-08 32,538 9,541 
			 2008-09 28,346 7,630 
		
	
	Data on the number of upheld or partially upheld cases that result in repayments is available only at disproportionate cost as HMRC's systems do not capture this automatically.

Taxation: Corporate Hospitality

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish guidance for businesses in respect of their tax liability for corporate entertainment in lap dancing clubs.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 29 October 2009
	HM Revenue and Customs have published guidance on business entertainment on their Business Income Manual at BIM45000 (specific deductions: entertainment), available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/BIM45000.htm
	No tax relief is available for client entertaining. The expenses incurred in entertaining clients at lap dancing clubs would not constitute an allowable deduction in computing a company's profits chargeable to corporation tax.

Taxation: Fuel Oil

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the estimated financial value of tax to be collected on the use of recovered fuel oil from the lime manufacturing industry is in the UK over the next three years;
	(2)  how much tax has been collected on the use of recovered fuel oil from  (a) the lime industry,  (b) the electrical industry and  (c) the steel industry since the implementation of the tax in November 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The forecast revenue for 2009-10 from fuel duty is published in table C.6 of the 2009 Financial Statement and Budget Report. This can be found at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/bud09_completereport_2520.pdf
	Data on receipts from oils duties are published in the National Statistics Hydrocarbon Oils Duties bulletin available at:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task-bulloil
	Receipts and forecasts of recovered fuel oil by industry are not available.

Welfare Tax Credits

Stephen Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend the tax credit system to reflect the respective financial contribution by parents who have separated towards the cost of raising their children.

Stephen Timms: The Government recognise the difficulties separated parents face when sharing responsibility for a child. There is no easy solution, which is why, ideally, parents should themselves reach an arrangement how the financial support provided through child tax credit and child benefit should be divided.
	However, where parents cannot reach such an arrangement, the Government believe that the best outcome for the child is achieved by directing support to the family with the main responsibility for caring for the child. As with all aspects of the tax credits system, the issue of shared care is kept under review.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Anne Begg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for  (a) his Department and  (b) tax credit claimants who have received overpayments of the Court of Appeal judgment of 13 October 2009 on the recovery of overpayments of social security benefits through the courts where the claimant is not at fault.

Stephen Timms: I believe the hon. Member is referring to the Court of Appeal case originally bought by the Child Poverty Action Group about whether the Department for Work and Pensions has the power to recover an overpayment under common-law in addition to their powers under section 71 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (SSAA 1992).
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not enforce recovery of overpayments of child benefit, guardians allowance or the health in pregnancy grant in cases where section 71(1) of the SSAA 1992 is not applicable.
	HMRC's powers to recover taxes are statutory. For example, section 28 Tax Credits Act 2002 gives HMRC the power to ask for any overpayment to be repaid. HMRC's policy on how it uses this power is set out in its code of practice 26, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.pdf

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Broadband: Wales

Mark Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on meeting the universal broadband commitment contained within the Digital Britain report.

Stephen Timms: Since my appointment as Minister of State in August, I have not had discussions with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers about the universal broadband commitment. However, officials from this Department and the Welsh Assembly Government have been working together, along with other nations, on the delivery of the universal service commitment for broadband, and will continue to do so.

Construction: Billing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made since February 2009 in ensuring that payments to sub-contractors of tier one contractors on construction projects funded from the public purse are made within 10 days of receipt of invoice.

Patrick McFadden: The Department is engaged in a range of activity to ensure (i) payment practices in the construction sector are improved, (ii) public sector contractors are paid on time and (iii) public sector contractors pay their own suppliers on time.
	Poor payment practices in the construction industry give rise to substantial additional financing and transaction costs. More importantly certainty over how much and when payment is made builds trust between supply team members and underpins collaborative working to achieve value for money for clients. That is why Government are committed to a 'Fair Payment Charter' in construction contracts which applies equally between the client and lead contractor and throughout the supply chain. To ensure effective and equitable cash flow for all those involved, all contracts will provide for regular payments and have payment periods not exceeding30 days.
	In October 2008 the Prime Minister committed all central Government Departments to pay invoices within ten days. We have made good progress and, as of September 2009, 19 out of every 20 invoices are being paid within ten days. Some £59 billion of payments were made within 10 days between June and September 2009.
	The Government model contract includes a requirement for contractors to pay their own suppliers within 30 days and all Departments have recently been asked to (i) remind suppliers of their contractual obligations, (ii) undertake compliance checking and (iii) secure supplier support for the Prompt Payment Code.

Copyright: Internet

Lembit �pik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent assessment is of the effect on the levels of employment in the creative industries of unlawful file sharing; and what assessment he has made of its likely effect in the next three years.

Stephen Timms: The UK creative industries represent a large and complex part of the economy. The most recent estimates are that it accounts for 6.4 per cent. of GVA. However the sector is made up of over 13 different industries including music, film, and business software, but also sectors such as architecture that are not impacted by file-sharing.
	Of those sectors where file-sharing is an issue, there are a range of factors which influence the level of employment and it has not been possible to arrive at any authoritative estimate of the impact that file-sharing has on employment to date or over the next three years.

Departmental Aviation

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many flights within Great Britain officials of his Department took in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse.

Patrick McFadden: Following a machinery of government change the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills was formed in June 2009. The figures below relate to the Departments before the merger.
	The amount spent and number of flights by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform within Great Britain for the period 2008-09 was:
	Number of flights-1,035
	Spend-£185,446
	The amount spent and number of flights by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills within Great Britain for the period 2008-09 was:
	Number of flights-152
	Spend-£31,331
	Figures are for the ex Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) part of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) only. Under a shared service arrangement the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) administers the account on behalf of DIUS to its former Department for Education and Skills (DfES) staff. To isolate the DfES figures would incur disproportionate costs.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Civil Service Management Code and departmental staff handbooks.

Departmental Video Conferencing

Gregory Barker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2008,  Official Report, column 447W, on departmental video conferencing, what the cost was of installing the state-of-the-art video conferencing and telepresence facilities in Kingsgate House.

Patrick McFadden: The costs for the now Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, of installing the video conferencing and telepresence facilities in Kingsgate House were as follows:
	(a) Video Conferencing-£286,000 (this included all equipment and links, set up costs and necessary security).
	(b) Telepresence Facility-£434,000 (this included all equipment, links, security firewalls and implementation costs.

Dyslexia

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students diagnosed with  (a) dyslexia,  (b) dyspraxia and  (c) dyslexia/dyspraxia and who received (i) one to 11 and (ii) 12 or more hours of learning support per academic term were awarded each level of degree qualification in the last five years.

David Lammy: Information on higher education students who are diagnosed with dyspraxia or who are in receipt of learning support is not held centrally.
	The numbers of first degree qualifiers who were recorded as having dyslexia in the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record are provided in the table as an alternative. This information is self-reported: therefore a student may choose not to share information about his/her disability.
	Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available from HESA in January 2010.
	
		
			  UK domicile first degree qualifiers( 1)  with dyslexia( 2)  by degree classification UK higher education institutions academic years 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			   Degree classification 
			  Academic year  First class honours  Upper second class honours  Lower second class honours  Third class honours/pass  Unclassified 
			 2003/04 700 3,855 3,215 680 455 
			 2004/05 890 4,525 3,600 755 515 
			 2005/06 1,055 5,105 3,895 865 585 
			 2006/07 1,210 5,770 4,335 1,020 755 
			 2007/08(3) 1,545 6,615 4,795 1,195 705 
			 (1) Covers qualifiers from full-time and part-time courses. (2) Dyslexia is part of the HESA Student Record field 'Disability' which records the type of disability that a student has, on the basis of the student's own self-assessment. (3) Figures for 2007/08 refer to the category 'A specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia' in the 'Disability' field and are not directly comparable to previous years  Note: Figures in the table are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Employment: EC Law

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have held with the British Chamber of Commerce on a date for implementation of the EU Agency Workers Directive.

Patrick McFadden: Since October 2008, when the EU Agency Workers Directive was agreed, my officials have met a wide range of organisations to discuss implementation of the Directive. This includes national consultation events held in London and the regions as part of the public consultation exercise held between 8 May and 31 July 2009. Officials have also had a number of bilateral discussions with representatives of organisations representing workers, hirers and agencies, including the British Chambers of Commerce, to explore specific issues arising from the consultation paper in more detail.

Higher Education: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of students from Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency awaiting  (a) a decision on and  (b) payments of their student support for 2009-10.

David Lammy: This answer is based on data provided by the Student Loans Company as at 18 October about applications being processed by Student Finance England (SFE).
	1,530 Student Finance applications were received from students in Bexleyheath and Crayford. 120 of these applications have been assessed as ineligible or the application has been withdrawn by the student or an application has been started via the online application process but not completed.
	1,170 have been approved for payment but for 90 of these SFE is awaiting confirmation from universities that these students have registered on their courses before payment is released.
	140 applications, for new and returning students, are still being processed.
	A further 100 applications have been received via the online application process and have been approved, but Student Finance England is awaiting the return of a signed declaration form from these applicants.

Members: Correspondence

Christopher Chope: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he intends to respond to the letter of 26 August 2009 from Cambridge University Eco Racing.

David Lammy: The Minister for Science and Innovation responded to the hon. Member on 30 October. I apologise for the delay.

Minimum Wage

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to increase the national minimum wage.

Patrick McFadden: The Government make decisions on National Minimum Wage rates based on recommendations from the Low Pay Commission. We have asked the Low Pay Commission to submit their next report by the end of February 2010. We will consider their recommendations carefully once that report has been received.

Public Transport: France

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations his Department has received from UK transport operators on access to the public transport system in France for overseas transport operators.

Ian Lucas: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) receives regular representations from UK transport operators and is in regular contact with such companies regarding opportunities in the French transport sector. UKTI has an international business specialist for rail, seconded from industry, to work on such issues.

Public Transport: France

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make representations to the French Government on access for overseas operators to bid for contracts in the public transport system in France; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: Both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport work with EU partners to maintain and develop an open and fair Single European Market. The Government are working with French authorities on issues of market access and UK Trade and Investment will continue to work with UK companies looking for opportunities in France.

Public Transport: France

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assistance his Department has given to companies in the UK transport sector seeking to win contracts in France.

Ian Lucas: UK Trade and Investment works constantly with UK companies in the transport sector seeking to win contracts in France and has held many events to introduce UK suppliers to the French transport sector.

Science: Higher Education

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many science departments in institutions of higher education have closed in each of the last 10 years.

David Lammy: holding answer 29 October 2009
	We do not have a central record of the number of science departments in higher education institutions. Appropriate academic structures in HE-such as departments, schools and faculties-are determined by each institution.
	Student numbers are taken as a more reliable indicator for the health of science. These numbers are growing encouragingly. Further details on numbers of science students can be found on the HEFCE website at:
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs

Spaceflight: EC Action

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the future of EU space projects.

David Lammy: In May earlier this year I attended the sixth Space Council of European Ministers with responsibility for space. The main topics of discussion at Space Council were the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative (GMES) and the contribution of space to innovation and competitiveness in the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan.

Spaceflight: EC Action

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the UK is contributing to the European Space Agency in 2009-10.

David Lammy: On current estimates, in 2009-10 the UK will contribute €266,766,518 to the European Space Agency.

Spaceflight: Research

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the European Union, Brazil, India, China, the US and Russia on cooperation in international space programmes.

David Lammy: In May earlier this year I attended the sixth Space Council of European Ministers with responsibility for space, which included discussions on the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative (GMES).

Spaceflight: Research

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what UK space projects the Government is  (a) fully and  (b) partially funding.

David Lammy: The Government are fully funding the two UK space projects: Topsat-a technology demonstrator small satellite launched at the end of 2006, and Starbrook-a system for monitoring satellites in geo-stationary and other orbits.
	The Government are also partially funding the Disaster Monitoring Constellation UK space project.
	In addition, the Government are fully funding a number of discrete instruments or experiments on multi-national space projects, and the MOD continues to fund existing space-related capabilities including Skynet, RAF Fylingdales and the Space Operations Coordination Centre.

Street Trading

Christopher Chope: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the consultation document on street trading and pedlary legislation will be published.

Brian Iddon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to consult on street trading by pedlars with a view to the reform of the Pedlars Acts 1871 and 1881.

Kevin Brennan: We intend to publish in November 2009.

Students: Disabled

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration the review of the Student Loans Company, headed by Professor Sir Deian Hopkin will give to the effect on disabled students of late payment of loans and grants.

David Lammy: Professor Hopkin's review will look at the Student Loans Company's operations for funding students in England in academic year 2009/10, and the plans for academic year 2010/11, including an assessment of the circumstances which led to any delays in responding to inquiries, assessing evidence, carrying out mean-tested assessments, and providing specific financial support to disabled students.
	The purpose of the review is to identify the lessons to be learned so that the service is run efficiently and effectively in academic year 2010/11 and beyond.

Students: Disabled

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on  (a) all disabled students and  (b) disabled students entitled to disabled students' allowance of the timing of payment of student loans and grants for 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: As part of its policy to widen participation in higher education, the Government give generous financial support to disabled students. The Government are aware of concerns expressed about delays in providing that support this academic year. These will be investigated in the review of lessons to be learned by the Student Loans Company, led by Professor Sir Deian Hopkin. Government-funded arrangements are in place to ensure that universities and colleges can support disabled students if there are delays in their assessments or payments.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the review headed by Professor Sir Deian Hopkin on the Student Loans Company to report to the Secretary of State; and whether the report of the review is to be published.

David Lammy: Mr. John Goodfellow, Chairman of the Student Loans Company, and I have asked Professor Hopkin for an interim report of his review into the company's operations of funding English students in academic year 2009/10 by the end of November. A final report will follow which will be published.

Students: Loans

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints on the operations of the Student Loans Company his Department has received in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company is responsible for responding to complaints about its operations. Complaints received by the Department are forwarded to the company for resolution. During this academic year's processing cycle, which began in February, the Company has received 1,445 official complaints. This represents 0.13 per cent. of all applications registered.

Temporary Employment

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the number of temporary and agency workers in  (a) each region of England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

Patrick McFadden: The number of temporary agency workers in each devolved Administration and Government Office region is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Distribution of temporary agency workers by region 
			  Region  Proportion (percentage)  Number( 1) 
			 England 89 1,158,000 
			 North East 4 53,000 
			 North West 10 133,000 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 10 134,000 
			 East Midlands 10 132,000 
			 West Midlands 9 112,000 
			 Eastern 10 135,000 
			 London 15 193,000 
			 South East 14 176,000 
			 South West 7 90,000 
			 Wales 3 43,000 
			 Scotland 6 76,000 
			 Northern Ireland 2 23,000 
			
			 UK total  1,300,000 
			 (1) APS proportions are applied to the 1.3 million agency workers estimated by SORA/REC. Rounded to nearest 1,000.  Note: Figures have been rounded.  Source: ONS' Annual Population Survey April 2008-March 2009, BIS' Survey of Recruitment Agencies (SORA) 2007 and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) 'Census' 2006

Underground Railways: France

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make representations to the European Commission on the policy of the French Government in offering an exclusive contract to operate the Paris Metro to a state-owned monopoly; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: Representations to the European Commission on transport policy are the responsibility of the Department for Transport. However, BIS works with EU partners on maintaining an open and fair Single European Market and raises such issues in the context of the functioning of the Single Market.